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🇺🇬 Uganda /Health & Science

Who Warns DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Is Outpacing Response As Uganda Reaches Milestone

From AllAfrica Uganda · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than any previous outbreak in its initial month, with over 2,273 cases and 796 deaths reported.
  • Intense transmission in DRC's Ituri province is a major concern, with over 80% of new infections detected outside known contact lists and active armed conflict hindering response efforts.
  • Neighboring Uganda reported its last Ebola patient was discharged, marking progress towards declaring the outbreak over there, while the DRC outbreak still requires stronger political and financial support.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, becoming the third-largest on record and outpacing response efforts, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

So far, 2,273 cases have been reported, with 796 deaths.

— Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusAddressing reporters in Geneva about the scale of the Ebola outbreak in DRC.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the two-month-old outbreak has spread faster in its initial phase than any previous one. "So far, 2,273 cases have been reported, with 796 deaths," he stated, noting that the 2018-2019 outbreak took over 10 months to reach a similar case count. Intense transmission in the restive eastern region of Ituri province remains a primary concern, with over 80% of new infections occurring outside established contact tracing, indicating widespread undetected transmission.

By comparison, the 2018-2019 Ebola outbreak in DRC took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases.

— Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusHighlighting the unprecedented speed of the current outbreak.

Compounding the challenge, active armed conflict is significantly hampering containment operations. An Ebola treatment center in Bunia was attacked recently, further complicating efforts to reach affected communities. Despite these obstacles, significant progress has been made in treatment capacity, laboratory facilities, and contact follow-up rates. Encouragingly, 377 people have recovered from the disease, highlighting that early diagnosis and care are crucial for survival.

Despite the progress we have made, the outbreak in DRC is continuing to outpace the response.

— Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusWarning about the challenges in controlling the spread.

Meanwhile, Uganda has achieved a milestone, with its last confirmed Ebola patient discharged. This marks the beginning of a 42-day countdown before the outbreak can be officially declared over in the country. Uganda reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with most infections linked to importation from the DRC. However, WHO officials caution that Uganda remains at risk. Tedros emphasized that effectively containing the DRC outbreak necessitates enhanced political backing and financial support.

This disease can be survived and stopped.

— Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusEmphasizing the possibility of recovery with early intervention.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by AllAfrica Uganda. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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