DR Congo Ministry of Health: Current Ebola outbreak is worst in country's history, deaths surpass previous record

Published Aug 17, 05:30 PM UTC

The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ministry of Health has declared the current Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country as the worst in Congolese history. In just three months, the virus has killed 2,325 people out of 4,945 confirmed infections, surpassing the 2,299 deaths from the 2018-2020 outbreak which took nearly two years. The mortality rate has risen from 20% in June to 47%, with 70% of victims dying at home, fueling further spread. An average of 100 new cases are reported daily, with one death every 30 minutes. Experts attribute the severity to late detection—the first infections occurred in late January in Ituri province, but the outbreak was not officially confirmed until May 14. The virus is now spreading across six provinces, and the UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has urged the international community to act with speed and solidarity to prevent the virus from outpacing countermeasures.

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