WHO: Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is worsening and is the largest to date
Latest data show a record number of new cases and deaths; the response is hindered by insecurity and insufficient contact tracing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not only failing to be brought under control, but is worsening, increasing the risk of spread to neighboring countries.
“Response activities need to be significantly increased to bring the epidemic under control,” WHO said in the statement.
Record number of cases reported in a single week
In the most recently reported week there were 567 new infections and 296 deaths — the highest in a single week since the outbreak began. In total, WHO estimates laboratory-confirmed cases at 3,605, including 1,587 deaths; about 651 patients have survived the infection.
The previous largest epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo occurred between 2018 and 2020, when 3,317 confirmed cases were recorded.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo variant, for which there is still no approved vaccine; a newly developed vaccine is being tested. As WHO warned, “Higher numbers are partly due to improved surveillance and increased numbers of laboratory tests.”
Response services face additional challenges: contact tracing reaches a maximum of 80 percent within three weeks, which is below the 95 percent level experts consider necessary. Health workers operate under difficult security conditions due to clashes with rebels, hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and deep mistrust among parts of the population, which hinders efforts to bring the epidemic under control.
Photo: Profimedia
