OMM Redaksiyası
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 8,000 amid shortcomings in contact tracing and continued deaths outside treatment centres, health authorities said Monday.
The cumulative caseload reached 8,067, including 3,901 deaths, according to the Health Ministry’s latest situation update. The case fatality rate stands at 48.4%.
Transmission reported across seven provinces
The outbreak, declared in mid-May, has affected 63 health zones across seven provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo and South-Ubangi.
Ituri remains the epicentre, accounting for 76.4% of cumulative cases since the outbreak began. The latest update said most newly confirmed deaths occurred in communities outside treatment centres in Ituri and North Kivu, reflecting difficulties in detecting cases promptly.
Contact tracing has declined to 79.2%, compared with 83.4% previously. Sustained transmission has been reported in Haut-Uele, while Tshopo has recorded renewed transmission.
WHO warns of cross-border risk
The World Health Organization warned last week that the virus’s geographic expansion, including newly affected areas in South-Ubangi and Haut-Uele, had increased the risk of cross-border transmission.
The WHO also said the rising fatality rate and growing number of deaths in communities underscored the seriousness of the outbreak.
At least $2.9 billion has been mobilised for the Ebola response in Africa, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
