The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is stalling as the country struggles to recruit enough health workers and secure funding to build new treatment centres.
Since the epidemic began in Bunia, the disease has spread to six provinces, forcing authorities to adopt a decentralised approach by locating treatment facilities closer to newly affected communities.
WHO technical officer Luca Fontana explained that 1,400 treatment beds have already been set up in 59 centres, a rapid scale‑up he compared to the 2014‑2016 West Africa outbreak. Yet he estimates that another 1,600 beds will be required to keep pace with the spread.
With roughly three health workers needed per patient bed, WHO calculates that about 9,000 staff would be required for the planned 3,000‑bed capacity, meaning roughly 5,000 additional workers must be recruited and trained.
Fontana highlighted the cost of personal protective equipment, noting that each worker entering a patient area spends about $25 on gear, and that hundreds of staff are required daily.
Compounding the problem, the pool of international organisations capable of running Ebola treatment centres has shrunk, partly due to global donor funding cuts. He pointed out that only five or six major organisations currently have the expertise to set up and operate a centre, each costing approximately $500,000 for a 50‑bed facility.
Some centres opened at the outbreak’s start are now being run by the Congolese Health Ministry, but Fontana warned that its capacity will soon be stretched. He urged that more actors step in to free up experienced partners for front‑line work.
The WHO has called on donors to boost contributions and accelerate funding to support the government‑led Ebola response plan of $1.3 billion over the next six months.
