Former CDC director warns that new Ebola outbreak in DRC requires massive, immediate action

Tom Frieden, who led the U.S. CDC response to the 2014‑2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people, writes about the new crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He notes that the current outbreak has already produced roughly ten times the number of cases seen early in 2014, spreading from three health zones to 25 within three weeks. Contact tracing is covering fewer than half of known contacts, laboratories are backlogged, no treatment center is ready, and there is a shortage of trained health workers, protective equipment, and medicines. Burial teams have also faced attacks.

Frieden stresses that every minute counts with Ebola. Rapid deployment can contain the virus in weeks, while delays allow it to spread for months or years. He calls for massive, immediate, and meticulous action to stop the outbreak before it escalates further.