Ebola Cases in DRC Rise to 344 with 60 Deaths

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 increased to 344 confirmed infections, with 60 deaths reported.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Mr Ghebreyesus said the number of suspected Ebola cases has dropped significantly from over 1,000 to 116. This is due to improved laboratory testing in the affected areas.

He provided this update after visiting the outbreak's epicentre in Ituri Province. There, he met with political leaders, health workers, and community groups involved in tackling the outbreak.

Mr Ghebreyesus stated that WHO’s latest risk assessment remains very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low globally. This assessment is despite ongoing efforts to control the virus and improve surveillance.

Confirmed cases have been reported in 24 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. This shows the scale of the outbreak and the difficulties facing 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 said.

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

Mr Ghebreyesus also mentioned that the outbreak has crossed into Uganda, where 15 confirmed cases and one death have been recorded. This includes a Congolese resident who travelled through the United Arab Emirates.

He added that a US citizen infected in DRC is receiving treatment in Germany. WHO is coordinating with authorities in Uganda and the UAE for contact tracing and assessing exposure risk.

The WHO Director-General pointed out five major challenges slowing down the response efforts. He stressed that stronger surveillance systems, community engagement, and better access to affected areas are urgently needed.

“First, testing delays are still a problem, 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, even though WHO recommends exit screening instead.

“Fourth, community mistrust is high, with some leaders still doubting that Ebola is real. Building trust is now a core priority. Fifth, we still don’t have any approved vaccines or treatments,” he said.

He noted that WHO has brought together its Medical Countermeasures Network to speed up trials and diagnostics. He emphasized that leadership, community ownership, and trust are essential for successfully ending the outbreak.

“Our ultimate measure of success is not just 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.