Congo reports over 1,200 Ebola cases and 321 deaths as WHO warns outbreak is far from over

Congo`s Ebola response hampered by insecurity, medicine shortages and funding gap. File Pic

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 1,203 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 321 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, according to the latest report released by the country's public health authorities.

According to the report, released on Friday (local time), 148 patients have recovered, while 419 patients are in isolation or receiving hospital care. Health authorities also identified 265 suspected cases, including 77 deaths.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday on X that contact tracing in the DRC was reaching more people and more Ebola patients were recovering and returning home.

However, he warned that the fight was "far from over," saying war and insecurity were still slowing the response and that mistrust remained a key challenge, reports Xinhua news agency.

The report also listed a series of operational challenges facing the response, including community resistance to post-mortem testing, insufficient treatment capacity in Ituri, where treatment centres were close to saturation, and a contact follow-up rate still below the 95 per cent target.

It also warned of shortages of essential medicines, infection prevention and control supplies, with a gap of about 20 isolation centres. Insecurity and limited access in areas affected by armed groups, population mobility and a funding gap of about 20 million U.S. dollars were also cited as major constraints.

The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, was officially declared on May 15.

Meanwhile,the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has appealed for 1.4 billion US dollars to finance Ebola outbreak response efforts.

During an online press briefing on Thursday evening, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said that five weeks into its declaration, the outbreak has yet to reach its peak, citing "a huge increase of cases" over the past week. He noted that compared to similar recent Ebola outbreaks, the current crisis is fast emerging as the largest.

"If we don't stop this outbreak now, and if it lasts two years -- as was the case in West Africa and in the eastern part of the DRC -- it will certainly be the largest Ebola outbreak ever," he warned.

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