Ebola cases in DRC hit 5,515 as Pope Leo urges global action

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has now recorded 5,515 confirmed cases and claimed 2,642 lives, with 51 new cases detected in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. This escalating situation marks the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the DRC's history, prompting Pope Leo to call for urgent international action.

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The case fatality rate climbs to nearly 48 percent in the DRC, meaning almost one in two people infected with Ebola are dying.

The case fatality rate has dramatically increased from approximately 20 percent in early June to nearly 48 percent, meaning almost half of those infected are dying. Despite this grim statistic, contact tracing has significantly improved, rising from 30 percent to over 85 percent. However, the disease has also taken a heavy toll on healthcare workers, with about 160 infected and 45 succumbing to the virus.

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The outbreak is now on track to surpass the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record, which was the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,000 people.

Efforts to control the epidemic face substantial challenges, including ongoing armed conflict in affected regions, population displacement, attacks on medical personnel and facilities, a mobile workforce, and a lack of critical infrastructure. While 16,250 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which may offer some protection against the Bundibugyo strain, have arrived, health officials emphasize the need for a two to threefold scale-up of response efforts. They also call for enhanced support and protection for frontline health workers.

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Contact tracing, however, has improved sharply, from 30 percent in June to more than 85 percent.