The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than any previous outbreak recorded in the country, raising fresh concerns over efforts to contain the virus.
According to an AFP report, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said more than 2,000 confirmed Ebola cases, including 796 deaths, have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
He described the crisis as the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record in the DRC, noting that the country’s 2018–2020 outbreak took more than 10 months to reach the same number of confirmed infections.
“In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak,” Ghebreyesus said.
Despite an intensified response by health authorities and international partners, the WHO chief warned that the outbreak continues to spread more quickly than response efforts.
“Despite the progress we have made, the outbreak in DRC is continuing to outpace the response,” he said.
Ghebreyesus revealed that more than 80 per cent of new infections are being detected outside known contact lists, indicating that many transmission chains remain unidentified.
He added that about two-thirds of Ebola-related deaths are occurring within communities, with many victims dying before receiving treatment at healthcare facilities.
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 following several deaths in the conflict-hit Ituri province in the country’s northeast.
The warning comes as neighbouring Uganda moves closer to being declared Ebola-free after discharging its last patient. If no new infections are reported within the required 42-day monitoring period, Uganda will officially be declared free of the disease.
