Congo-Kinshasa: Medical Charity Warns Funds for DR Congo Ebola Fight Not Reaching Front

What the report says

French medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains out of control six months after it was first detected in Ituri province in mid-May, according to Radio France Internationale, distributed by AllAfrica. The group warned on Thursday that large parts of international aid have not reached the front line, leaving health workers and communities with too little support as the virus continues to spread.

MSF said there is a gap between the money mobilized for the response and what is actually reaching hospitals, ambulance crews, surveillance teams and affected families. The organization cited unpaid or undertrained health staff, fuel shortages for ambulances, missing supplies, and monitoring teams that exist in name but are not operating in some areas. It also said some hospitals have become places where infection spreads rather than places of treatment.

The report said the outbreak has caused more than 5,300 deaths from over 11,000 confirmed cases. It also noted concerns that response efforts are concentrated in some areas while other hotspots are left behind. MSF called for greater transparency and accountability from Congolese authorities and urged wider use of the available ERVEBO vaccine, while cautioning that the current strain has no approved specific vaccine or treatment yet. For context, Ebola is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids and has previously crossed borders in the region.