The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned that the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could take a year to curb.
An IFRC official in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, disclosed this to AFP on Tuesday.
Since the declaration of the outbreak in the DRC on May 15 2026, 808 cases have been confirmed in the country, including 192 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.
“Here in Bunia, what I can see is that we did not reach the peak of the epidemic,” Bruno Michon, the IFRC’s operations manager for the Ebola outbreak, told reporters in Geneva by video call.
He further said the IFRC was concerned about a dire lack of testing capacity, warning that it’s very difficult to know exactly to what extent the epidemic is spreading.
“The peak is, I think, not beyond us, but in front of us. We are afraid that this could last one year” before ending the outbreak.
According to WHO, no approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for the current outbreak, which centred in Ituri, and has also been detected in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The outbreak has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, which to date counts 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths. Michon also warned that the outbreak reining in DRC especially, would require large efforts in gaining the trust of the affected communities.
“To stop this outbreak, we need to invest not only in medical response, but also in trust, local volunteers, community engagement and operational access,” he said.
Recounting challenges the societies face, he said, “In recent days, DRC Red Cross volunteers have faced verbal abuse, threats and even physical attacks while carrying out their work. Trust is not a secondary activity in an Ebola response. Trust is central. Without trust, we cannot detect cases early. We cannot ensure safe burials. We cannot protect families. And we cannot stop transmission.