The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a resurgent Ebola outbreak with no end in sight. The UK-led vaccine programme, once hailed as a bulwark against the virus, has ground to a halt. Geopolitical tensions between London, Kinshasa, and regional powers have left millions without protection.
For workers in the mining towns of North Kivu, the cost is measured in lives lost and wages unpaid as quarantines shut down businesses. The World Health Organisation reports 200 new cases this month, a 40% increase. Union leaders in Goma accuse the government of prioritising foreign investment over public health.
One nurse, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: 'We bury our colleagues while politicians argue over who controls the vaccine supply chain.' The UK Foreign Office insists it is 'committed to resolving logistical issues', but families in Bukavu tell a different story: missed appointments, expired doses, and a growing mistrust of western aid. As Ebola spreads unchecked, the real economy of the DR Congo — the market stalls, the copper mines, the small farms — faces another devastating blow.
The cost of bread has risen 15% in a month. The question now is whether diplomacy can catch up with a virus that respects no borders.
