The world’s perilous Ebola complacency

Congolese medical workers carry the coffin containing the body of a doctor who died at an Ebola treatment center after contracting the virus, during her burial in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Saturday. | REUTERS

Nov 3, 2026

NAIROBI – A catastrophic threat is exploding in the heart of Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently battling the deadliest, fastest-moving Ebola outbreak in its history.

In mid-May, the World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency of international concern and continental security. As of Oct. 27, there were 10,193 cases and 4,960 deaths.

Yet amid rising geopolitical factionalism, the international response remains inadequate. The rest of the world is treating this ticking biological time bomb as a distant, localized problem, despite the risk of a catastrophic global health failure with massive socioeconomic consequences.

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