Ebola Cases in DRC Hit 344, Deaths Reach 60

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, has announced that Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have risen to 344 confirmed infections, with the death toll now at 60.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Mr Ghebreyesus reported that the number of suspected Ebola cases has dropped significantly from over 1,000 to 116, thanks to improved lab testing across the affected areas.

He provided this update after visiting the outbreak center in Ituri Province. There, he met with political leaders, health workers, and community members involved in the response efforts.

Despite ongoing measures to control the spread, Mr Ghebreyesus said the WHO's latest risk assessment remains very high nationally, high regionally, and low globally.

Confirmed cases have been reported in 24 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. This shows the serious nature of the outbreak and the challenges faced by response teams.

“Treatment capacity has expanded with three centres and 80 beds now open in Bunia, plus units in Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Beni, Goma, and Bukavu,” he stated.

“Six people have recovered in DRC and two in Uganda, but contact tracing is still lagging at 45 percent against the 90 percent target needed to control the spread.”

Mr Ghebreyesus noted that the outbreak has crossed borders, with Uganda reporting 15 confirmed cases and one death. This includes a Congolese resident who travelled through the United Arab Emirates.

He mentioned that a US citizen infected in DRC is still receiving treatment in Germany. The WHO is also coordinating with authorities in Uganda and the UAE for contact tracing and risk assessments.

The WHO Director-General pointed out five major issues slowing down the response efforts. He stressed the urgent need for better surveillance systems, community involvement, and improved access in affected areas.

“First, testing delays persist, so WHO is decentralising labs to Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde, and Tchomia. Second, only 45 percent of contacts are being followed in DRC due to insecurity and displacement.

“Third, blanket travel restrictions are disrupting supply chains, despite WHO recommending exit screening instead.

“Fourth, community mistrust is still high, with some leaders doubting that Ebola is real. Building trust is now a core priority. Fifth, there are still no approved vaccines or treatments,” he explained.

Mr Ghebreyesus mentioned that WHO has gathered its Medical Countermeasures Network to speed up trials and diagnostics. He stressed that strong leadership, community ownership, and trust are essential to ending the outbreak successfully.

“Our ultimate measure of success is not whether we stop this outbreak. We will. DRC has stopped 16 previous Ebola outbreaks,” he said.

“The real measure is what we do to prevent the 18th and 19th outbreaks. If communities survive Ebola only to die from malaria, malnutrition, or other diseases, we have not really helped them.

“WHO promised to stay after the outbreak ends to help build stronger health and humanitarian services under government leadership,” he said.