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

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Deutsche Welle report, says deaths in the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda have risen past 1,000. Citing World Health Organization and Congolese Health Ministry data for cases traced from May 15 to July 19, the report says 2,473 infections have been recorded, with 999 deaths documented in Congo and two in Uganda. At a health summit in Ghana on Wednesday, Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya put the confirmed death toll at 1,031.

The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, and the report says there are currently no vaccines or treatments for this strain. Ituri province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan, is described as the epicenter, while infections have been reported in five of Congo’s 26 provinces. The rapid rise in deaths is being compared with the 2013-2016 West African Ebola epidemic, which took longer to reach 1,000 fatalities.

Health officials cited in the report say containment is being hampered because many new infections are not connected to known transmission chains. About 82% of contacts linked to confirmed cases are being traced, below the 90% to 95% level the WHO considers necessary to control spread.

The report also points to insecurity and difficult working conditions for health staff, including attacks and unpaid wages, as factors weakening the response. Kaseya urged stronger international action, warning that without faster containment the outbreak could become one of the most serious Ebola events on record.