Largest Ebola treatment centre to open in DR Congo
The largest centre for Ebola treatment is about to open in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the spread of the disease continues in the country, reports Africanews and agencies on August 4th.
The Rwankole Ebola Treatment Centre is set to open this week in Bunia, the capital of the Ituri provenince in the northeast of the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the spread of the Ebola in the Congo as “exceptional” since the latest outbreak began on May 15th 2026.
Currently suspected Ebola cases are isolated and treated at the Kigonze Ebola Transit Centre. In a video for Africanews, a doctor in the Congo, Dr Francis Bigirimwami Chibanvunya outlines the protocol for dealing with patients expected to have Ebola. He explained that if a patient’s test result is “negative after 48 hours, we run a second test” and “if those tests are negative, the person is discharged and sent home”.
Sambo Sidikou, a member of the International Medical Corps, an NGO providing emergency medical services to those affected by disaster, conflict and disease discussed the new center’s facilities.
Once it opens it will be the largest Ebola treatment center in the country. The center includes more than 300 staff and 100 beds made up of 60 beds for confirmed cases and 40 for suspected cases. He also said the new center will have specialized facilities including technology that can safely treat pregnant women who are confirmed to have or suspect they have Ebola.
Sidikou said medical professional are “relying on the community to help accelerate the process of identifying cases”.
As of July 30th, there were 3,605 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DR Congo with 1,587 people having died from the disease, according to WHO data. A demand for a significant scale up of the country’s public health response was called for by WHO on August 1st.
Africanews plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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