The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 5,000 additional health workers are needed to respond to the Ebola epidemic currently ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the latest official report from the WHO, the epidemic has already claimed 3,175 lives out of more than 6,600 confirmed cases.
Nearly 4,000 health workers are currently working in treatment centers, while 9,000 are required to ensure patient care across the 3,000 planned beds, stated Luca Fontana, a senior technical official at the WHO, during a press briefing in Geneva.
The Congolese Ministry of Health is seeking to identify medical personnel in other provinces to mobilize them quickly to the affected areas. “The challenge is to identify them quickly enough to ensure we can meet the growing needs,” the WHO official explained.
Saturation level reached: The current capacity for care remains below projected needs. Some 1,400 beds are currently available in the 59 existing treatment centers. The WHO estimates that an additional 1,600 beds are still needed to reach the required capacity.
“We are currently reaching a saturation level,” particularly due to difficulties in identifying and mobilizing staff, transporting supplies, and finding international actors capable of managing treatment centers once they are operational, emphasized Luca Fontana.
The epidemic was officially declared in mid-May in areas of eastern and northeastern DRC, where the security situation complicates response operations. The virus responsible is the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment is currently approved. However, vaccines and treatments are currently being tested.
The WHO reminds that Ebola is transmitted primarily through contact with bodily fluids and can cause hemorrhagic fever. The DRC previously experienced its largest Ebola epidemic between 2018 and 2020, with nearly 2,300 deaths out of approximately 3,500 recorded cases.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-08 15:38:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/sante-loms-estime-a-5-000-le-nombre-de-personnels-de-sante-supplementaires-necessaires-face-a-ebola-en-rdc/