DR Congo needs 1,600 more Ebola beds as outbreak spreads: WHO
14:31, 08/09/2026, TuesdayU: Update: 14:32, 08/09/2026, Tuesday
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The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo urgently needs an additional 1,600 Ebola treatment beds as the outbreak spreads beyond Bunia, with the UN health agency warning that nearly 3,000 beds will be required to meet surging demand for medical care.
The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo urgently needs an additional 1,600 Ebola treatment beds as the outbreak spreads and demand for medical care surges beyond current capacity. Nearly 1,400 beds have already been established across 59 facilities — up from more than 900 within the first two months of the response, according to Luca Fontana, a technical officer with the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
Fontana told reporters in Geneva that total capacity must reach approximately 3,000 beds to meet projected needs. "This is one of the fastest Ebola treatment scale-ups I have ever witnessed, including during the West Africa Ebola response," he said, adding that patients were now arriving from villages far beyond Bunia.
Decentralized Response
The geographic spread indicates that the outbreak is moving beyond initial epicenters and that a more decentralized response is needed to bring treatment closer to affected communities, Fontana noted. Establishing the additional 1,600 beds will require more personnel, with WHO estimating that three health workers are needed for every patient.
Approximately 9,000 health workers must be trained and deployed to cover the projected 3,000 beds, according to the agency's calculations. The scale-up comes as authorities struggle to contain transmission across remote areas where access remains challenging.
Funding Constraints
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters that the agency needs $115 million under a six-month joint WHO-Africa CDC response plan and has received or been offered $112.4 million, leaving a $2.6 million gap. He warned that funding needs are expected to increase as the outbreak evolves and case numbers continue to rise.
The Congolese government's broader six-month plan covering all partners requires $1.3 billion, with WHO urging donors to increase and accelerate contributions. As of Monday, health authorities have reported 6,686 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,226 deaths since the outbreak began.