DRC: MSF Supports Ebola Outbreak Response in Kasaï

On 4 September, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially declared a new outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Zaire strain, in Bulape Health Zone, part of Mweka territory in Kasaï province. This remote region, located in south-central DRC, is difficult to access, with poor road conditions, no cargo airport, and limited electricity—factors that are severely complicating the response.

As of 9 September, national health authorities reported more than 20 confirmed cases and 16 deaths. Several health workers are among the victims. This marks the 16th Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.

A Rapid and Coordinated Response

In coordination with the Congolese Ministry of Health and alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) rapidly mobilised teams and joined a multi-agency emergency mission to the area to assess the situation and support immediate response efforts.

“Our teams began supporting the General Referral Hospital in Bulape almost immediately,” says Brice de le Vingne, MSF emergency coordinator. “We helped reinforce triage protocols, supplied essential medicines and personal protective equipment, and conducted training in infection prevention and control (IPC) and symptomatic care.”

An Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) has been established by MSF and WHO within the hospital compound, and yesterday, the facility began admitting its first patients. MoH, MSF, and WHO teams are jointly providing care.

In addition, MSF teams have visited surrounding health facilities to strengthen IPC protocols and train healthcare workers in how to respond safely and effectively to suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, a dozen MSF staff are present in Bulape, and we are sending in more people and tons of medical materials,” says de le Vingne. “We’re working hand in hand with Congolese health authorities to evaluate needs on the ground and determine where our support might also be required—such as in surveillance, community engagement, or vaccination.”

Vaccines and Treatment: A Critical Window

The World Health Organization has confirmed that 2,000 Ebola vaccine doses are currently available in-country, with additional shipments expected in the coming days. MSF stands ready to support vaccination efforts if requested by health authorities.

“This outbreak is a reminder of the threat posed by Ebola in the DRC,” says Hilde De Clerck, MSF infectious diseases specialist. “Fortunately, progress in recent years has led to improved treatments, but this hemorrhagic fever can still be fatal for most infected patients without timely and appropriate care. Ensuring access to both treatment and vaccines is essential.”

Ebola is transmitted to humans through direct contact with blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals. Human-to-human transmission occurs through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, particularly via mucous membranes such as the mouth or nose.

This is not the first time Mweka territory has faced an Ebola outbreak—MSF also supported responses to previous outbreaks in the area in 2007 and 2008.

An Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) has been established within the hospital compound, the facility began admitting its first patients. Date: 07/09/2025 | Location: KasaÏ | Photographer: MSF

MSF Supports Ebola Outbreak Response in Kasaï. Date: 07/09/2025 | Location: KasaÏ | Photographer: MSF

MSF teams have visited surrounding health facilities to strengthen IPC protocols and train healthcare workers in how to respond safely and effectively to suspected Ebola cases. Date: 07/09/2025 | Location: KasaÏ | Photographer: MSFAn Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) has been established within the hospital compound, the facility began admitting its first patients. Date: 07/09/2025 | Location: KasaÏ | Photographer: MSF

About Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a global network of principled medical and other professionals who specialise in medical humanitarian work, driven by our common humanity and guided by medical ethics. We strive to bring emergency medical care to people caught in conflicts, crises, and disasters in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In South Africa, we currently run a non-communicable diseases (NCDs) project in Butterworth, Eastern Cape province, where we support the Department of Health (DoH) in improving care for patients with diabetes and hypertension. The project focuses on improving screening, diagnosis, management, and prevention of NCDs through advocacy, research, health promotion, training, and mentorship of Community Healthcare Workers.

MSF is also recognised as one of the pioneers in providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the public sector. It started the first HIV programme in South Africa in 1999. The organisation's earlier interventions in the country have primarily been on developing new testing and treatment strategies for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in Eshowe (Kwa-Zulu Natal) and Khayelitsha (Western Cape). The Eshowe project was handed over to DoH in 2023 after 12 years of operations. The Khayelitsha project was closed in 2020 after 22 years of activities and campaigning for improved HIV and TB treatment.

Other projects we have been involved in include our Migrant Project in the country's capital, Tshwane, which was handed over to authorities and a local Community-Based Organisation after building the capacity to work with undocumented populations. We also previously offered free, high-quality, and confidential medical care to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Rustenburg, North West province.

To learn more about our work in South Africa, please visit this page on our website (www.msf.org.za). To support MSF’s work: