The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded at least 930 deaths from its latest Ebola outbreak, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
The ministry said the number of confirmed Ebola cases had reached 2,344 as of Saturday.
Health officials also reported 37 deaths within a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday, one of the highest daily death tolls since the outbreak was declared.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the virus is spreading faster than in any previous Ebola outbreak recorded in the country.
Speaking to reporters, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it took more than 10 months for the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the DRC to reach 2,000 confirmed cases.
According to him, the current outbreak reached the same number of confirmed infections in just two months.
The WHO also indicated that the actual number of infections could be at least double the confirmed figure.
“It is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record. In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak,” Dr. Tedros said.
The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was first detected after several deaths were reported in Ituri Province, a mineral-rich region in the country’s northeast where several armed groups operate.
The Ebola virus, which spreads through close contact with infected persons and bodily fluids, has now been detected in five provinces of the DRC as well as neighbouring Uganda.
While the WHO says Uganda is close to becoming virus-free, transmission continues to increase in the DRC.
Health response efforts have also been affected by industrial action in Ituri, where healthcare workers began a strike last week over unpaid compensation.
The workers reportedly blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital, citing delays in payments despite treating Ebola patients under difficult conditions.
According to the WHO, more than 80 per cent of newly confirmed cases are being detected outside known contact lists, suggesting that some transmission chains remain unidentified.
The DRC Ministry of Health said 724 patients are currently in isolation at treatment centres across the country as response efforts continue.
The ministry also reported 22 new recoveries within a 24-hour period, stating that patient care and support services are being strengthened in affected areas.
SOURCE: Aljazeera