DRC Ebola outbreak becomes country's deadliest on record

The Ebola epidemic ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the nation's deadliest on record, with over 2,300 fatalities reported. This current outbreak has surpassed the 2018-2020 epidemic in eastern DRC, which recorded 2,299 deaths.

The latest figures show 2,325 deaths from 4,945 confirmed cases in the current surge, which was declared on May 15th. The epidemic has spread rapidly across six provinces in the vast Central African nation, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uélé, and Bas-Uélé.

The UN's humanitarian chief warned that the outbreak is the fastest ever recorded, claiming a life every 30 minutes. The affected regions face challenges such as fragile state presence, under-resourced health infrastructure, and a surge in cases that has overwhelmed response efforts. The specific variant causing this epidemic, Bundibugyo, currently has no available vaccine or specific treatment.

The World Health Organization expressed hope on Wednesday that the upward trend of the epidemic could be reversed within three months. Several vaccines are undergoing trials for the current strain of the virus. Ebola, transmitted through bodily fluids, causes hemorrhagic fever and has caused over 15,000 deaths across Africa in the past 50 years.

“

is the fastest ever recorded