The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to at least 930, and the virus appears to be spreading faster than ever. The DRC Ebola death toll climbed sharply over the weekend, with health officials recording one of the highest single-day increases since the outbreak began.
The health ministry said on Monday that confirmed cases had reached at least 2,344, as of Saturday’s count, with 37 deaths recorded in just 24 hours from Friday alone. That marks one of the highest daily increases recorded since the Ebola outbreak was first declared in the DRC on May 15.
Fastest-Spreading Outbreak on Record
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned last week that Ebola is spreading in the DRC faster than in any previous outbreak. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the DRC’s 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases. This time, it took only two months to hit that mark, and the WHO has said the true tally could be at least double the official count.
“It is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record,” Tedros said. “In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak.”
The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was first detected after several deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich northeastern province patrolled by several armed groups. Cases have since been found in five DRC provinces and in neighbouring Uganda. But while Uganda is now close to being declared virus-free, Tedros said, Ebola continues spreading at an unprecedented rate within the DRC.
Healthcare Workers Still on Strike in Ituri
Compounding problems in Ituri, where the death toll is growing fastest, healthcare workers began a strike last week and blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital. Staff have complained of not receiving compensation for their work since the outbreak began, despite treating patients under difficult and dangerous conditions.
Tedros also highlighted that more than 80 percent of new cases are being detected outside known contact lists, a sign that transmission chains are still being missed.
Response Efforts Intensify as Hospitals Fill
The health ministry said in its latest update that 724 patients are currently in isolation in hospitals, and that it is intensifying response efforts across affected areas.
