Ebola outbreak reaches grim new milestone
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has exceeded 1,000 confirmed cases, the country’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday.
Officials said 1,003 people have tested positive for the virus since the start of the outbreak. At least 254 patients have died, while case fatality rate reached 25.3%.
Just a day earlier, authorities had reported 956 confirmed infections and 247 deaths.
Hundreds of patients remain under medical supervision. Health officials said 365 people are currently receiving treatment or being monitored in specialized facilities, while 100 patients have been discharged after recovering from the disease.
Medical staff have also paid a heavy price during the crisis. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Director Marie Roseline Belizaire, 75 healthcare workers have been infected since the outbreak began, 17 of whom have died.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Belizaire warned that the situation remains highly volatile and continues to develop at a rapid pace.
“It is a really high price that the system, the healthcare system, is paying, because we don’t have enough of healthcare workers in DR Congo,” the WHO official said.
DR Congo has been grappling with its 17th Ebola outbreak since May 15. Health authorities have linked the outbreak to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
The epidemic is not confined to DR Congo. According to a situation report by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), neighboring Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases connected to the ongoing outbreak and two fatalities.
The Congolese government has ordered free medical care at designated health facilities across Ituri Province as part of its Ebola response. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said the measure was aimed at ensuring equitable access to treatment and reinforcing public health protections amid the outbreak.
Ituri Province has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for nearly 90% of all confirmed Ebola infections. The head of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, has warned that the outbreak could become one of the continent’s deadliest Ebola crises if not contained quickly.
