Support MSF's Ebola Emergency Response
Help us respond rapidly to this deadly disease outbreak in Uganda and the DRC.
“Two and a half months after the Ebola disease outbreak was declared, the situation in eastern DRC is more critical than ever. The outbreak is spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate, despite the tireless efforts of frontline medical teams."
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), MSF teams are mobilising to help contain the sudden surge in Ebola cases in the country's eastern province of Ituri, with cases also confirmed across the border in Uganda.
The outbreak has now been confirmed as the rarer Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus which kills up to 40 percent of those infected. There is no approved vaccine and no approved treatment.
According to the WHO, 3,605 confirmed cases had been reported by 1 August, making this the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC, surpassing the 2018 epidemic. In just 11 weeks since it was declared, nearly 1,500 people have died. That is a far higher death toll than in comparable periods of previous outbreaks; the devastating 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa caused 279 deaths over the same timeframe.
When a crisis like this hits, your support means we are already there.
Right now, our teams are responding on the ground assessing the medical and humanitarian needs.
By giving to MSF today, you are helping to ensure we can respond to the current Ebola outbreak at a scale that matches the crisis on the ground.
Your support helps MSF reach more people with life-saving care.
Donate to our Ebola Emergency Fund now.
AN 'ALARMING' OUTBREAK
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a rare but deadly virus, with the current strain exhibiting a mortality rate of up to 40 percent. It can be difficult to diagnose because the early symptoms, like a fever and sore throat, are common. Ebola is highly infectious and is spread through close contact with blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids.
There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the current strain of this virus, but medical teams can give patients the best chance of survival by managing symptoms and treating any other illnesses present.
What is MSF doing?
So far, MSF has mobilised over 1,400 medical, logistical and support staff with experience in responding to Ebola to the affected regions.
We are also surging critical medical supplies to the area, having shipped tens of thousands of items already and with tonnes of supplies continuing to arrive each week. MSF teams are often among the first humanitarian responders on the ground for one key reason: because we are already there.
MSF and Ebola
Ebola is one of the world’s deadliest diseases and can cause terror in affected communities. We are leading experts in treating and containing Ebola. In recent years, MSF teams have fought major outbreaks of Ebola in DRC and West Africa.
MSF has also been working in the DRC since 1977, providing vital healthcare services through conflict, disaster and disease.
YOUR IMPACT
Outbreaks of this kind can often be difficult to assess in terms of size. However, the US Centre for Disease Control has raised the Ebola response to the highest level, its most severe designation and what is clear is that we urgently need a response that matches the scale of this crisis.
There has never been a more important time for your support.
