The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at its fastest pace on record and threatens to become the deadliest in the disease's history. With more than 4,600 confirmed cases and at least 2,100 deaths, it is now the second-largest outbreak on record. This death toll was reached almost three times faster than the outbreak that occurred over a decade ago.
The virus has expanded into a sixth province in eastern DR Congo, where Gédéon Banga Ngbape and his team of community health workers are laboring tirelessly to track the spread. Meanwhile, in Kinshasa, a city of millions, fears of a serious health crisis are growing as hospitals scramble to prepare for emergencies.
Health workers are struggling to contain the rapidly growing outbreak amid significant obstacles. These challenges include community resistance, misinformation, threats from rebel groups, and strikes by unpaid staff.