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HealthUN: Congo Ebola outbreak fastest-growing in history, deaths surpass 1,400
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The United Nations has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo the fastest-growing in history, with more than 1,400 deaths reported. UN officials report that cases are doubling every 20 days, outpacing aid efforts. In the last two months alone, 1,000 people have died, compared to eight months during the 2014-2015 West Africa epidemic. UN Ebola Coordinator Julien Harneis and WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau call for a massive expansion of relief supplies, protective equipment, and medical personnel. Early treatment is emphasized as critical for survival. The outbreak has already surpassed the 2018-2020 eastern Congo outbreak, which killed around 2,300 people.
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Photo of the "Ceca-20" cemetery in Congo. Source: REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hundreds of people are dying from Ebola within a short period, with the current epidemic outpacing the spread of previous outbreaks. UN officials describe the situation as a race against time and are urging a radical expansion of aid.
United Nations experts are calling for a massive increase in aid measures in response to the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"The number of cases is rising exponentially and doubling every 20 days. This is a much faster growth than the expansion of our aid measures," said Julien Harneis, UN Ebola Coordinator.
"We must massively step up our measures, whether in the supply of relief goods, especially protective equipment, personnel, medical professionals, and logisticians." Early treatment greatly increases the chances of survival, Harneis added.
More Than 1,400 Dead in Current Outbreak
"This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak of all time," said Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). "For comparison: in the last two months, 1,000 people died. In West Africa, it took eight months for 1,000 people to die."
Key comparisons with past outbreaks:
- 2014–2015: More than 11,000 people died in an Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
- 2018–2020: Around 2,300 people died in the second worst recorded outbreak, which occurred in eastern Congo.
- Current outbreak: According to figures from the Congolese health authorities, more than 1,400 people have died from the virus so far.
Ebola fever is a life-threatening disease. The virus is transmitted through physical contact and especially through contact with bodily fluids.
dpa/doli
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UN Warns of Fastest-Growing Ebola Outbreak in History as Deaths Surpass 1,400 in Congo