Ebola deaths in DR Congo near 2,700 mark

The number of Ebola-related deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has hit 2,642, according to the latest data published by the country's health ministry.

The country has also recorded 5,514 confirmed cases, with approximately 42,500 contacts registered to date.

Congolese health authorities, working with international partners, have ramped up efforts to contain further spread of the deadly disease, which has been labeled the deadliest in the nation's history.

Kinshasa has already received more than 16,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine, which it hopes can strengthen the fight to stop the disease.

An average of about 90 confirmed cases have been recorded daily during the first three months of the outbreak, a rate significantly higher than during the early stages of the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak and the 2018–2020 DR Congo outbreak. The outbreak has now spread to six provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicenter, accounting for about 85% of cases and 79% of deaths.

Mortality remains high, with about 60% of the 260 deaths recorded weekly over the past six weeks occurring in communities rather than Ebola treatment centers. The World Heath Organization (WHO) said this points to continuing challenges in detecting cases early and ensuring timely access to treatment. The response is being complicated by insecurity, recurrent conflict, population displacement, attacks on health facilities, and difficult access to affected communities.

Despite the challenges, response capacity has expanded significantly. Laboratory testing has increased from one facility to 19 laboratories capable of processing more than 3,000 samples a day, while treatment capacity has risen from fewer than 10 beds to more than 1,300. More than 900 health facilities have also received infection prevention and control support, while community engagement efforts have reached more than 2.5 million people. Contact tracing has improved from 9% in the first week of the outbreak to 84% as of August 18.

(With input from the World Health Organization)