The Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported 41 new recoveries in the past 24 hours, with 30 of those cases in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak. This brings the total number of people recovered to 1,864 since the start of the outbreak. The response efforts are ongoing in 7 provinces and 63 health zones, with a focus on containing the outbreak and providing care to those affected.
According to the latest situation report, there have been 7,614 confirmed cases and 3,676 deaths reported so far. Currently, 909 patients are in isolation or hospitalized, and the contact tracing rate stands at 87.8%. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working closely with the Congolese government to respond to the outbreak, including providing support for vaccination efforts and surveillance.
In Ituri province, the response efforts are concentrated on providing care and surveillance. A vaccination campaign is set to be launched in Bunia, with support from Médecins sans frontières. In North Kivu province, the cold chain is operational, allowing for rapid expansion of vaccination efforts. Meanwhile, surveillance is being strengthened in Haut-Uélé province, particularly in Dungu, which is a new area affected by the outbreak.
At points of entry and control, 97% of the 281,145 travelers have been screened and sensitized about the outbreak. Community mobilization efforts are also ongoing, with over 110,000 people sensitized in a single day through home visits, community discussions, and mass actions, supported by radio broadcasts in affected provinces.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on September 16 that the response efforts in DRC were showing "encouraging signs" but would likely take several more months to bring the outbreak under control. The current outbreak is the most deadly in DRC's history, with over 3,500 deaths reported so far.
The outbreak was declared in mid-May, several weeks after it had started. Since then, the response efforts have been working to contain the outbreak and provide care to those affected. Ebola has killed over 15,000 people in Africa in the past 50 years, and the WHO is working to bring the current outbreak under control.
The response efforts are ongoing, with a focus on strengthening surveillance, vaccination, and care for those affected. The situation remains challenging, but the progress made so far is encouraging. The DRC government, WHO, and other partners are working together to bring the outbreak under control and prevent further spread of the disease.
Key points
- 41 new recoveries reported in 24 hours, including 30 in Ituri province.
- Total number of recoveries now stands at 1,864.
- Response efforts ongoing in 7 provinces and 63 health zones.
