Kinshasa: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest in the country's history, with 2,325 fatalities reported. This surpasses the 2,299 deaths recorded during the 2018-2020 outbreak, which was previously the deadliest.According to United Nations, the outbreak, declared on 15 May, has also become the largest in terms of confirmed cases, with a total of 4,945 cases recorded as of late July. Currently, 730 patients are in isolation or hospitalized, while 1,040 individuals have recovered. The fatality rate has reached 46 percent, based on government data.This outbreak is second only to West Africa's 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, which resulted in 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths. However, the Bundibugyo outbreak in the DRC is progressing at a faster rate. Vaccine trials for the Bundibugyo strain are underway in the UK and Canada, as there is currently no approved treatment.Efforts to contain the outbreak are being challenged by inadequate health infrastructure, ongoing c onflict in the epicenter, and distrust of medical authorities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the outbreak is outpacing the response.Neighboring countries such as South Sudan and the Central African Republic are on high alert as the UN and global health partners work to prevent the spread of Ebola. In June, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a response plan to improve coordination, disease surveillance, and healthcare across the continent.The UN's humanitarian aid office, OCHA, has allocated $54.5 million to accelerate the response and prepare neighboring countries for a potential spread. In the Central African Republic, the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, is providing technical and logistical support to local authorities, including transportation of health experts and delivery of essential supplies.WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarevic indicated that the agency is scaling up its response efforts. A recent meeting in Bangui between representatives fr om several countries, including DRC, aimed to enhance cooperation in disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness. WHO aims to reverse the outbreak's spread within three months by controlling transmission, although additional support is needed for all response areas.Responders require safe access to communities and necessary resources to end the outbreak and save lives, WHO emphasized.
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