A healthcare professional takes a moment to rest after sanitizing a treatment facility for Ebola patients in Beni, located in North Kivu province, eastern Congo, on Monday, August 31, 2026 -
Copyright © africanews
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Global News
Authorities in Congo unveiled a new Ebola treatment facility in Kisangani on Thursday, as they strive to enhance surveillance, diagnostic, and treatment capabilities.
The center, operated by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, has 22 beds but is designed to accommodate up to 50 patients.
“Establishing an Ebola Treatment Center (ETC) with all essential support services, adequate treatment capabilities, and good access for patients will undoubtedly enhance the medical team's ability to deliver optimal care to patients and also offer an isolation facility to disrupt the transmission chain at the community level,” stated Kate Nolan, the MSF emergency coordinator in Kisangani.
The first case of Ebola in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, was confirmed during the current outbreak in July.
The virus has now affected seven provinces, with Sud Ubangi in the northwest being the most recent addition.
The outbreak is escalating under some of the toughest conditions imaginable, exacerbated by rebel violence, displacement, and significant population movements.
A fragile healthcare and surveillance system presents additional challenges to responders, alongside limited contact tracing and laboratory testing capabilities.
Efforts to control the outbreak have also been hindered by the absence of an approved vaccine or treatment for the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it.
