The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling with a shortage of health workers needed to manage the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak. As of the latest government reports, the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, with 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 deaths. While some areas have seen declines in cases—down 26% in Ituri province and 15% in Haut-Uele—others continue to experience rising infections. Marie Roseline Belizaire, the WHO’s regional emergency director for Africa, emphasized that the outbreak remains uncontrolled and widespread, with no single region fully containing the virus. The outbreak is occurring under extremely challenging conditions. Factors such as insecurity, displacement of people, a recent health workers’ strike, and frequent population movements have complicated efforts to contain the virus. The WHO has warned that the current outbreak could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which killed over 11,000 people. In North Kivu, the number of cases and deaths has started to decline after a period of increase, but treatment centers still face a critical shortage of staff. Catherine Smallwood, the WHO’s Ebola incident manager, noted that while more treatment beds are being added, the lack of trained personnel remains a major obstacle. WHO representative in Congo, Anne Ancia, explained that a single Ebola treatment center requires around 300 health professionals, including nurses, doctors, and hygienists. However, despite the construction of new facilities, many lack the necessary staff. “Those health workers must be paid,” Ancia said. Earlier in the year, frontline workers in Ituri went on strike due to unpaid wages, which further limited access to care. The government has since begun verifying payroll lists after discovering that some names on the list were not involved in the response. While officials promised to pay the arrears, many workers received only partial payment or nothing at all. Another significant challenge is the high fatality rate among children under five, which stands at over 60%, compared to around 40% for adults. Marie Roseline Belizaire noted that detecting cases in young children is particularly difficult, as they may not be able to clearly describe their symptoms, and the symptoms themselves can be confusing. Catherine Smallwood added that this makes early detection and treatment even more challenging, highlighting the need for improved strategies to identify and care for affected children.