How a legacy of mistrust in DRC has led to 17 Ebola outbreaks in 50 years

AI Summary

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has experienced 17 Ebola outbreaks in 50 years, highlighting a cycle of recurring public health crises driven by deep structural vulnerabilities and mistrust. The recent Bundibugyo virus emergency reflects ongoing challenges in health infrastructure and regional stability.

Seventeen Ebola outbreaks in 50 years. The same country, over and over again.On 17 May, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern as Bundibugyo virus disease re-emerged in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), spreading to Uganda within days.1As of 8 July, 1759 suspected cases and 600 deaths had been reported across the provinces of Ituri and Nord-Kivu.2 The previous Ebola outbreak in DRC ended just five months previously. The one before that ended in 2021. The question is not why this outbreak occurred, but why DRC faces Ebola again and again, and what will finally break that cycle. The answer matters well beyond DRC’s borders. As outbreaks recur in the same fragile settings, global health institutions continue funding emergency response at the expense of the trust-building investments that might finally end the cycle.The answer lies in a convergence of structural vulnerabilities. DRC borders nine countries,...