Eastern Congo Faces Ebola Challenge Amid New Treatment Hope
WHO:
ABC News - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO)
ABC News - Dr. Vasee Moorthy, WHO research adviser
ABC News - Professor Yap Boum, head of emergency response at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
ABC News - Professor Placide Mbala, coordinator of laboratory activities for the current outbreak
ABC News - Audrey Tengetenge, Bunia resident
ABC News - Gladys Munguro, Ebola survivor
ABC News - Nelson Dhebi, shopkeeper in Bunia
ABC News - Pierre Akilimali, incident manager at Congo’s National Institute of Public Health
WHAT:
ABC News - A second phase of the trial will include healthcare workers, close contacts, and others at high risk of infection.
ABC News - Gladys Munguro stated, “This experimental phase is necessary for us. I will volunteer as soon as the next phase of the trials begins for high-risk individuals."
ABC News - Nelson Dhebi expressed concern that treatments could cause deaths and suggested that research should first involve elected representatives.
ABC News - A study of two potential Ebola treatments began in early July.
ABC News - More than 1,400 people have been diagnosed with Ebola, and 438 have died.
ABC News - The study is evaluating the antiviral remdesivir, the experimental antibody treatment MBP134, or a combination of both.
ABC News - Survival will be tracked for 28 days after starting treatment.
ABC News - The research could continue for between three and six months, depending on the outbreak's evolution.
ABC News - Nearly three out of four Ebola deaths during this outbreak occur outside of health centers.
WHERE:
ABC News - The Ebola treatment center is located inside Bunia's Evangelical Medical Center in Ituri province, eastern Congo.
ABC News - The study is currently being offered only at Bunia’s Evangelical Medical Centre.
WHEN:
ABC News - The first participant was enrolled in the study on the same day the article was published.
ABC News - The trials are expected to expand to other locations once it is safe to do so.
WHY:
ABC News - Community mistrust and overcrowded treatment centers are major obstacles in responding to the outbreak, along with delays in seeking care and insecurity in conflict-affected areas.
ABC News - The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is less common than other Ebola viruses and has no specific treatments or vaccines.
ABC News - Community mistrust and overcrowded treatment centers are major obstacles in responding to the outbreak.
HOW:
ABC News - The region has been hit hard by violence, including toward healthcare workers trying to fight the virus, which spreads by contact with sick patients’ bodily fluids.
ABC News - The trial is a collaboration between Congo’s national biomedical research institute INRB, Britain’s Oxford University, Antwerp’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, and other international health groups.
(UPDATED July 5, 2026 19:21 UTC)
A second phase of the trial is set to include healthcare workers, close contacts, and others at high risk of infection, with Gladys Munguro volunteering to participate as soon as it begins. Nelson Dhebi has raised concerns about the potential dangers of treatments, suggesting that research should prioritize elected representatives due to community mistrust and overcrowded treatment centers. The region is facing significant challenges, including violence against healthcare workers and delays in seeking care, all of which complicate the response to the outbreak.
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(UPDATED July 5, 2026 07:57 UTC)
A new study evaluating two potential treatments for Ebola has begun at Bunia's Evangelical Medical Center in eastern Congo, where over 1,400 people have been diagnosed with the virus and 438 have died. The trial will assess the antiviral remdesivir, the experimental antibody treatment MBP134, or a combination of both, with survival tracked for 28 days after treatment starts. This research is a collaboration involving Congo’s national biomedical research institute, Oxford University, Antwerp’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, and other international health organizations, and it could continue for three to six months depending on how the outbreak evolves.