Ofure Akhigbe
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday, September 15, 2025, launched an Ebola vaccination campaign in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the country’s first outbreak of the virus in three years.
Health officials confirmed that 400 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine have been deployed to Bulape in Kasai Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, from a national stockpile of 2,000. The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has also approved the delivery of an additional 45,000 doses to boost containment efforts.
The outbreak, declared in early September, has so far resulted in 32 suspected cases, 20 confirmed infections, and 16 deaths, according to the Health Ministry in Kinshasa.
WHO Programme Area Manager Patrick Otim cautioned that the virus could spread further after a case was detected 70 kilometers from Bulape, raising the risk of transmission into neighboring Angola. He described the risk of cross-border spread as “moderate” and urged rapid response to avoid escalation.
Humanitarian groups have raised concerns about weakened international support and reduced foreign assistance, which they say could hinder containment and prolong the crisis.