The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is accelerating beyond containment efforts, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned, with fatalities rising to 1,801 and infections surging in several hotspots.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking after consultations with health and humanitarian partners in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Thursday, called for an “urgent and massive” scale-up of response measures.
“The outbreak is spreading faster than our scale-up of the response, with new cases doubling in some hotspots over the past week alone,” Tedros wrote on X after the meeting.
“We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners.”
He stressed that insecurity and mass displacement continue to obstruct access to affected communities, making stronger government-led coordination, protection for frontline workers, and improved treatment and surveillance essential.
Data released by the Ministry of Health highlights the worsening situation: confirmed cases jumped from 3,674 on 31 July to 3,973 by 4 August while deaths increased by 180 in the same period.
The outbreak has now spread to 51 health zones across five provinces, with Ituri province remaining the hardest hit.
The epidemic, driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, has already surpassed the scale of the 2018-2020 outbreak.
Unlike the Zaire strain, Bundibugyo currently has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, complicating containment efforts.
The health emergency is unfolding amid political instability, with the M23 rebel group holding territory and exacerbating humanitarian crises.
JN/APA