By Our Correspondent
ABUJA — The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to 5,021, with 2,378 deaths recorded in the country’s latest outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Wednesday.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak and is believed to have been spreading for several weeks before it was officially detected.
The outbreak has affected regions in the north and east of the country, where limited state presence, weak health infrastructure and the activities of armed groups have complicated efforts to contain the disease.
According to the latest data released by Africa CDC, the current outbreak has resulted in 2,378 deaths out of 5,021 confirmed cases.
The development makes the outbreak the worst in the country’s history by confirmed cases.
The previous deadliest outbreak, which occurred between 2018 and 2020, recorded 3,381 confirmed cases and 2,299 deaths, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures based on data from the Congolese authorities.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Tuesday warned that the epidemic remained far from being brought under control.
“The risk of further national and international spread remains high,” Tedros said.
Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus, the strain responsible for the current outbreak, although clinical trials are ongoing.
The response to the outbreak has faced criticism over delays and poor coordination, while mistrust among sections of the population has further complicated containment efforts.
Africa CDC said difficulties persisted, including refusals to undergo testing and resistance in some communities, which were hampering surveillance and disease-control activities.
The WHO said efforts were being intensified to strengthen the response and reach communities where the virus was spreading.
Meanwhile, the European Union on Tuesday announced that it was sending testing kits worth €2.5 million ($2.9 million) to support the response.
AFP
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