Ebola Claims Life of Doctor in DRC, Africa CDC Reacts

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is mourning the death of a doctor named Marie-France Shogogo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She contracted Ebola while working in the country.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya shared the news of Ms Shogogo's death in a post on X on Thursday.

"I met Dr Marie-France Shogogo during my visit to #Beni. A young doctor, she had chosen to dedicate her life to saving the lives of others," Mr Kaseya said.

He expressed sadness over the loss of young health professionals who work hard to save lives. He called it "deeply painful and outrageous."

"We must protect those who protect us. We owe it to the memory of Dr Shogogo, to her family, and to all frontline health workers," he stressed.

A journalist from DRC, Nickson Manzekele, also reported on X that Ms Shogogo died on Wednesday, 28 October, at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni after contracting the virus.

Mr Kaseya mentioned that Ms Shogogo's death highlights the urgent need to end the outbreak.

"We must do everything in our power to end this epidemic," he said. He added that losing health workers is a painful reminder of the dangers faced by those fighting the outbreak.

The doctor’s death comes at a time when Ebola transmission is still high in the DRC. The outbreak was first declared in May.

The latest data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that as of 27 October, the DRC had 10,193 confirmed cases and 4,960 confirmed deaths. The confirmed case fatality rate is around 49 percent.

The outbreak has affected 66 health zones across eight provinces, with Ituri being the main area hit. North Kivu, where Beni is located, is the second most affected province.

WHO reported that the high number of deaths in communities indicates problems with early detection and timely access to proper care.

The virus has also spread beyond the DRC's borders.

Kenya has reported nine confirmed cases, including two deaths, according to the latest WHO figures. Nigeria has recorded one imported case, while Uganda had 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. France also had one imported case, which has since been discharged.

The outbreak is due to the Bundibugyo virus, which is one of the types of virus that causes Ebola disease.

WHO has stated that the risk in DRC is very high and the risk to neighboring countries is high as well. They are urging countries in the region to improve their surveillance, laboratory capacity, rapid response, and readiness for cross-border issues.