More than 1,000 Ebola infections and 277 deaths have been recorded in DR Congo, with the WHO describing it as the worst first-month outbreak on record in Africa….reports Africa Daily News Desk
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 1,094 confirmed Ebola cases, including 277 deaths, since the outbreak was declared on May 15, with the World Health Organization (WHO) describing it as the highest number of confirmed cases recorded during the first month of an Ebola outbreak in Africa.
According to official figures released on Tuesday, 387 patients are currently in treatment or quarantine, while 115 people have recovered. Authorities have also recorded 131 suspected cases, including 44 suspected deaths.
In its latest epidemiological report, the DRC Health Ministry said confirmed infections continue to rise on a weekly basis, indicating sustained community transmission. Officials noted that strengthened surveillance, expanded laboratory testing and decentralised diagnostic services have improved case detection and revealed wider spread of the disease.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, WHO Director of Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations Abdirahman Mahamud said the outbreak had reached an unprecedented level during its first month.
“This is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an Ebola disease outbreak in Africa,” Mahamud said.
He noted that response efforts were also expanding rapidly. Treatment capacity has increased from a handful of beds to more than 500 across 19 health zones over the past two weeks. Laboratory testing capacity has similarly expanded, rising from about 30 tests per day in Kinshasa at the beginning of the outbreak to more than 2,000 daily tests through eight decentralised laboratories operating across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi announced that he would soon visit Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to assess response efforts on the ground. He also called for stronger regional cooperation focused on prevention, surveillance and rapid information sharing.
The outbreak has raised concerns beyond the DRC’s borders. Uganda, which shares a frontier with Ituri province, has confirmed 20 Ebola cases, including two deaths. Health authorities in Uganda said 15 of the infections were imported from neighbouring DRC.
On Tuesday, Uganda and the DRC launched a joint cross-border initiative that includes shared surveillance systems, rapid response teams, mobile laboratories and Ebola treatment centres.
The WHO has warned that the health risk remains very high in the DRC due to ongoing transmission and the spread of infections into new health zones, while the risk in Uganda also remains elevated because of cross-border transmission and strong epidemiological links between the two countries.
