WHO Begins Ebola Vaccination Amid New Outbreak in DRC Kasai Province

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is responding to its 16th Ebola outbreak since 1976, with a vaccination campaign underway in the Kasai Province, the epicenter of the current outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched an initial 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine to frontline health workers and contacts of confirmed cases, with plans to deliver an additional 45,000 doses soon. The outbreak has resulted in at least 16 to 28 deaths and over 60 suspected or confirmed cases, raising concerns about wider transmission, including a case detected 70 kilometers from Bulape and potential spread to neighboring Angola. WHO has deployed experts to assist with surveillance, clinical care, infection control, and community engagement amid challenges such as limited access and scarce funds. This outbreak, caused by the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, adds to the difficulties faced by the DRC, which is also contending with ongoing conflict and weakened healthcare infrastructure. WHO emphasizes early vaccination and training of health workers as critical to preventing further spread and mitigating the health crisis.