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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

Ebola spreading fast in DR Congo, WHO warns amid escalating crisis

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Ongoing story
  • The World Health Organization reports that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading rapidly.
  • Despite accelerated efforts, the WHO is struggling to keep pace with the worsening situation in the northeastern DRC.
  • The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, has resulted in 232 confirmed deaths among 896 cases, with 21 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading with alarming speed. Despite intensified efforts to contain the virus, the WHO acknowledges it is racing to keep up with the escalating crisis gripping the northeastern regions of the country.

"The outbreak remains serious" and is "evolving so fast," stated Marie-Roseline Belizaire, the WHO Africa emergencies chief, speaking from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. The outbreak, officially declared on May 15, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine currently exists. As of the latest WHO update, there have been 896 confirmed cases in the DRC, resulting in 232 confirmed deaths. The last 24 hours alone saw 21 new cases reported.

Ituri province, which has been heavily impacted by conflict, accounts for over 90 percent of the known cases within the DRC. The virus has also spread to the neighboring provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. The epidemic's rapid evolution poses a significant challenge, with response efforts struggling to match the virus's spread through close contact and infected bodily fluids.

The outbreak remains serious and is evolving so fast.

— Marie-Roseline BelizaireWHO Africa emergencies chief describing the rapid spread of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC.

Belizaire highlighted the significant scaling up of the response, noting that the number of treatment beds has increased from zero to over 500. Surveillance teams are investigating nearly 400 alerts daily and have the capacity to conduct over 2,000 tests per day. Crucially, contact tracing efforts have ramped up, with 75 percent of contacts now being reached, a significant improvement toward the WHO's target of 95 percent for effective control.

In neighboring Uganda, the only other country affected, there have been 19 confirmed cases and two deaths. However, Uganda has reported no new cases in the past 12 days, offering a glimmer of hope in the broader regional context.

However, I have seen a response that is growing stronger every day.

— Marie-Roseline BelizaireWHO Africa emergencies chief expressing cautious optimism about the containment efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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