Health
Congo authorities report more than 6,000 confirmed Ebola cases
The outbreak in eastern Congo has caused nearly 3,000 deaths and is spreading amid insecurity and a health workers' strike.
The short version
- An ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has surpassed 6,000 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths.
- The World Health Organization warns the outbreak is out of control and could surpass the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic.
- Spread is being accelerated by population displacement, local conflict, and a health workers' strike.
Key facts
- Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported that the ongoing Ebola outbreak has reached 6,000 confirmed cases and caused 2,911 deaths.[Associated Press]
- More than 1,360 individuals have successfully recovered from the virus.[Associated Press]
- The outbreak recently expanded into two new health zones within the eastern region of the country.[Associated Press]
- Active transmission is being driven by multiple complex factors, including regional insecurity, displacement, intense population movements, and a strike by health workers.[Associated Press]
- According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak remains uncontrolled and is on pace to exceed the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed over 11,000 people.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain when local containment efforts will stabilize the outbreak given the ongoing health workers' strike and security challenges.[Associated Press]