The Hidden Toll of Congo's Ebola Funding Crisis
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a severe Ebola outbreak that has claimed over 3,200 lives, with maternal mortality rates rising as women avoid hospitals for fear of isolation. The crisis is exacerbated by funding challenges and public health anxiety.
Why it matters
The intersection of a deadly epidemic and the avoidance of healthcare services highlights the secondary humanitarian toll of public health emergencies.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is deeply stuck in the deadliest Ebola outbreak in its history — and the second largest ever recorded globally, behind only the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic. As of September 7, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC has claimed nearly 3,200 lives , surpassing the 2018–2020 epidemic that had held the country’s grim record for six years. The World Health Organization declared the rare Bundibugyo virus a public health emergency of international concern in May 2026. This has been the headline for the past few months. However, this is not the whole story.
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