Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have risen above 5,500, with more than 2,600 deaths recorded, according to government figures.
The latest data, covering cases reported through Saturday, showed 5,514 confirmed infections and 2,642 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 47.9 per cent. About 1,200 patients have recovered from the disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) described the outbreak as having reached a “defining moment” more than 100 days after it was declared. The epidemic has spread across 57 health zones in six provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, warned that transmission was continuing to outpace control efforts, describing the outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC.
Ituri remains the epicentre, accounting for about 85 per cent of reported cases and 79 per cent of deaths. The WHO said community deaths were responsible for about 60 per cent of fatalities in recent weeks, highlighting continuing challenges with early detection, referral and access to treatment.
The UN health agency urged intensified efforts to contain transmission, stressing that decisions taken at this stage would determine how quickly the outbreak could be brought under control and more lives protected.
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