The current Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the worst on record in the country and the second-largest epidemic of the disease recorded anywhere. Almost a year after the declaration of this Ebola outbreak, more than 1,900 people have died from the virus.
The Ebola crisis in DRC is not under control—despite a massive international response, promising new vaccines and therapeutic drugs, and improvements in the medical management of the disease. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has repeatedly stressed that the spread of this deadly virus cannot be stopped without building greater trust between those involved in the Ebola response and the local communities directly affected. The majority of Ebola cases have been reported in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, however new cases continue to emerge in other areas, indicating that the epidemic is yet to be contained.