The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed 2,000 confirmed cases, with 754 deathsrecorded, as health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) warn that the actual scale of the outbreak may be significantly higher.
According to the latest figures released by Congolese health authorities, the outbreak has spread across five provinces, with the WHO estimating that infections could be two to four times higher than officially reported.
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
However, the WHO announced that the first clinical trial of an experimental antiviral drug, obeldesivir, has commenced to assess its effectiveness in people exposed to confirmed cases.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that the outbreak is spreading at an unprecedented rate, revealing that the number of confirmed infections has tripled in less than five weeks, while fatalities have increased more than fivefold.
WHO’s Executive Director for Health Emergencies, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, expressed concern that about 80 per cent of new infections are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, making it more difficult to contain the outbreak.
He also noted that many infected persons are dying before reaching healthcare facilities, further complicating response efforts.
The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15 after several cases were detected in Ituri Province, a region in northeastern DR Congo affected by persistent insecurity and armed conflict.
Health authorities and humanitarian organisations have called for an urgent scale-up of surveillance, treatment and community response measures to contain the spread of the deadly disease.
