Bunia: The Democratic Republic of the Congo needs another 1,600 Ebola treatment beds as the outbreak spreads and demand for care grows rapidly, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Tuesday. Luca Fontana, a technical officer with the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, emphasized the urgent need for expanded treatment capacity to combat the escalating situation.

According to Anadolu Agency, nearly 1,400 beds have already been established across 59 facilities, a significant increase from more than 900 within the first two months of the response. Fontana highlighted that this is one of the fastest Ebola treatment scale-ups he has ever witnessed, even compared to the West Africa Ebola response. An additional 1,600 beds are estimated to be required, bringing the total capacity needs to around 3,000.

Fontana explained that patients were arriving at treatment centers from villages far beyond Bunia, indicating the outbreak's spread and the necessity for a more decentralized response to bring treatment closer to communities. Expanding capacity will also demand significantly more personnel, with WHO estimating that three health workers are needed for every patient, resulting in the need to train 9,000 workers to cover the projected 3,000 beds.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier stated that the agency requires $115 million under a six-month joint WHO-Africa CDC response plan. However, it has received or been offered $112.4 million, leaving a $2.6 million gap. Lindmeier warned that funding needs are expected to increase as the outbreak evolves. The Congolese government's broader six-month plan, covering all partners, requires $1.3 billion, with WHO urging donors to increase and accelerate contributions.

As of Monday, 6,686 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,226 deaths have been reported, according to the WHO.