The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with its fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 2,000 deaths reported since the outbreak was officially declared fewer than three months ago. As of Tuesday, a total of 4,381 Ebola cases have been confirmed across five provinces, including 2,011 deaths.

According to official government data, at least 1,000 of these deaths have occurred in the last three weeks, highlighting the alarming rate at which the virus continues to spread. This outbreak is the second largest in history, surpassed only by the West African Ebola epidemic from 2014 to 2016, which resulted in 11,310 deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced last week that vaccine trials are currently underway, though it may take several months before results are available. On Monday, the WHO revealed that the virus first appeared in the DRC in February, three months prior to the official outbreak declaration on May 15, which also included neighboring Uganda.

The ongoing crisis has also led to protests by Ebola health workers in the DRC over unpaid wages, as the outbreak continues to challenge the country's healthcare system.

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