DR Congo Ebola death toll rises to at least 930 as outbreak spreads across five provinces

The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to at least 930, according to the country's health ministry. Confirmed cases have reached at least 2,344, with the outbreak now reported in five provinces and in neighbouring Uganda. The World Health Organization has warned that the virus is spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak in the country.

Sponsored

Officials said 37 new deaths were recorded in just 24 hours over the weekend, one of the highest daily increases since the outbreak was declared on 15 May. The ministry said the confirmed case total was as of Saturday. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the 2018-2020 outbreak took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, while this outbreak reached that level in about two months.

He said the true number of infections could be at least double the confirmed tally. The outbreak is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, Tedros said. More than 80% of new cases are being detected outside known contact lists, which he said shows that transmission chains are still being missed.

The health ministry said 724 patients are currently in isolation in hospitals and that response efforts are being intensified in affected areas. It also said 22 new recoveries were recorded in 24 hours. The outbreak was first detected after several deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich northeastern province that has long faced insecurity and is patrolled by several armed groups.

Sponsored

That location has complicated the public-health response, particularly as the death toll has grown fastest there. Ebola spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, making rapid case detection, isolation and contact tracing central to containing outbreaks. The latest figures underline the scale of the challenge facing health authorities in the DRC, which has experienced repeated Ebola outbreaks over the years.

The country's 17th outbreak has now spread beyond its original area of detection, and the appearance of cases in Uganda has raised concern about cross-border transmission. The situation also comes as healthcare workers in Ituri began a strike last week and blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital, saying they had not received compensation since the outbreak began. What remains unclear is how many infections have not yet been confirmed and whether transmission can be brought back under control in the hardest-hit areas.

The health ministry says it is strengthening patient care and support capacity, but the pace of new deaths suggests the outbreak is still accelerating. The next key indicators will be whether contact tracing improves, whether the strike in Ituri is resolved, and whether the spread beyond known contacts can be reduced.

#Ebola #DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo #WorldHealthOrganization #Ituri #Uganda

Sponsored