The fastest-ever growing outbreak of Ebola is currently wreaking havoc across the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The numbers of infections and deaths are on track to exceed those of the worst outbreak ever recorded—the 2014–16 Ebola crisis in West Africa. This deadly strain comes after the Trump administration gutted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2025, and amid a violent conflict in the region. The international community is playing catch-up, and no vaccine is yet available.
“Radio Atlantic” host Adam Harris speaks with Atlantic writer Hana Kiros about why this outbreak is different and what it tells us about the state of global health today.
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00:00 Introduction
01:42 Why Ebola Containment Failed
02:57 Where the Virus Spread
03:39 The Specific Challenges of the Bundibugyo Species
05:15 Human Toll and Fear
07:38 Mistrust and Violence
10:15 Global Health Playbook Shifts
19:40 What Comes Next
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