BUNIA, Congo– The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Congo has surpassed 8,000, as the country lacks health workers to contain the deadly disease.
Congo announced an outbreak on May 15 caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no known treatment or vaccine, and has struggled to contain it.
The latest data from the Congolese Ministry of Health showed that 8,067 cases have been confirmed, with 3,901 deaths as of September 26 in 63 health zones in seven of the country’s 26 provinces, with a mortality rate of more than 48%.
“The persistently high crude case fatality rate, and in particular the persistently high death rate in communities, highlights the severity of the disease and the continuing challenges in rapid case detection and access to early and adequate care for patients,” the World Health Organization said in its latest report. This meant that a high percentage of infected people were dying, regardless of factors such as delay in seeking help and response, or hidden cases.
Last week, the WHO said Congo lacked health workers to contain the disease. Health workers have complained of delays or missed payments, triggering several strikes despite the delicate nature of the outbreak. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 health workers have died since the outbreak was announced.
Some areas have shown signs of improvement, with confirmed cases falling, notably in Ituri province and Haut-Uélé, but authorities say the disease is spreading more in other regions, widening its geographic reach.
According to Africa CDC data, the current outbreak has surpassed the two-year-old West Africa regional outbreak in terms of spread in the same time. As of week 19, the regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016 had recorded 3,781 cases, while the current outbreak had recorded 7,840. The WHO said it was on track to surpass the regional outbreak, which killed 11,000 people.
Containment efforts have been paralyzed by insecurity, displacement, a health worker strike and intense population movements.
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Gn Health
