Young Doctor Dies of Ebola as Congo Cases Rise Beyond Ituri

Young doctor Victor Kingombe has died of Ebola at a treatment centre in Kisangani, Congo, as the outbreak continues to spread beyond Ituri province.

Kingombe died on Thursday at the Kisangani Ebola treatment centre. His death came as cases decreased in Ituri, identified as the outbreak’s epicentre, while neighbouring provinces recorded sharp increases.

Colleagues and family members gathered for his funeral, where healthcare workers wearing full protective equipment carried his body to a coffin. Agnes Kalokola, a colleague and fellow doctor, cried after the announcement of his death.

“Our internal medicine doctor is gone. Doctor Victor, why? Why, Doctor? Our internal medicine doctor,” Kalokola said.

Didier Lomoyo Iteku, the vice-governor of Tshopo province, also attended the funeral. After viewing Kingombe’s body through a plastic window, Iteku addressed persistent disbelief about Ebola in the community.

“This disease is real. Here is a doctor who was here trying to save lives, and he himself was a victim,” Iteku said.

Cases rise in neighbouring provinces

Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, first reported Ebola cases in late June. The treatment centre where Kingombe died had been inaugurated less than two weeks before his death.

In North Kivu, Ebola cases had increased by 73 per cent over the previous three weeks. The spread has been reported amid insecurity, displacement, a strike by health workers and intense population movements.

Healthcare workers have also faced widespread mistrust from communities. Treatment centres and burial teams have been attacked on numerous occasions, adding further difficulties to efforts to identify cases, provide care and conduct safe burials.

Vaccination and treatment trials

Healthcare workers in Kisangani began receiving the Ervebo vaccine in August. The vaccine was originally developed for Ebola caused by the Zaire virus, while the current outbreak has been identified as being caused by the Bundibugyo strain. However, Ervebo has provided some protection during this outbreak.

Trials of potential treatment for the Bundibugyo strain were underway across Congo, according to the information available on the response.

The World Health Organization has assessed that the epidemic is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which it described as the deadliest on record. That assessment comes as health authorities continue to respond to rising cases outside Ituri and confront mistrust and disruption affecting the healthcare response.