Ebola death toll exceeds 5,000 in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed 5,000 deaths, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases in eight provinces. The Congolese health ministry says the epicentre remains in Ituri, where conflict is complicating the fight against the virus, according to government data.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has killed more than 5,000 people, according to government data cited by MyJoyOnline. More than 10,300 confirmed cases have been recorded in eight of the country’s 26 provinces.
The epicentre remains Ituri province in the north-east, where conflict is complicating efforts to fight the virus, the health ministry said in its latest update. The case fatality rate is 48.6%. Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
The outbreak, which began in May, became the deadliest in the DRC’s history in August, according to health officials. It is the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak and the second largest in the world, according to the UN. The DRC’s previous deadliest outbreak killed 2,299 people between 2018 and 2020. In West Africa, the 2014–2016 outbreak killed more than 11,325 people, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus responsible is the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no treatment or vaccine. Testing, care and clinical vaccine trials are under way. The WHO’s African office is calling for stronger control measures, access to affected areas and community outreach. The UN says the outbreak is killing people at a faster rate than previous ones.
The health response is also being hampered by attacks on responders. A nurse was killed and another health worker seriously injured in an attack this week as they responded to an Ebola alert, according to Radio Okapi, which is supported by the UN. The previous month, an elected official was beaten to death after advocating preventive measures. In August, the Red Cross reported injuries among its volunteers and an ambulance being set on fire.
The death toll has now passed the 4,887 reported on 27 October in an earlier update on the outbreak in the DRC. On 31 October, MyJoyOnline also published a toll of more than 5,000 deaths in an article on the outbreak’s death toll.
