Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola Deaths Increase to Over 1,000

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Deutsche Welle report, said the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed more than 1,000 people, citing figures released Wednesday by the World Health Organization and regional health officials. According to the report, Congo Ministry of Health data covering cases from May 15 to July 19 recorded 2,473 infections in Congo and neighboring Uganda linked to the Bundibugyo strain, with 999 deaths in Congo and two in Uganda. Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, separately told a health summit in Ghana that 1,031 deaths had been confirmed.

The report said the outbreak is spreading unusually quickly and has a higher fatality rate than earlier Ebola outbreaks. It noted that no vaccines or specific treatments are available for this strain, complicating the response. By comparison, the major West African Ebola epidemic from 2013 to 2016 took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths, while the current outbreak has done so since mid-May.

Health officials in Congo say most new infections are not linked to known transmission chains, suggesting surveillance teams are struggling to keep pace. The report said authorities are tracing 82% of contacts connected to confirmed cases, below the 90% to 95% level WHO officials consider necessary for containment.

The outbreak has been reported in five of Congo’s 26 provinces, with Ituri province, near Uganda and South Sudan, identified as the epicenter. DW also reported that attacks on health workers, unsafe conditions and unpaid staff have weakened the response, with some health personnel fleeing affected areas.