Congo Ebola outbreak outpacing response, says WHO chief

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned that the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the world is outpacing the response efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). During his visit to the capital Kinshasa, Ghebreyesus stated that the number of new cases is doubling in some hotspots nearly three months since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.

As of Monday, the outbreak has resulted in 3,874 confirmed cases and 1,751 deaths, according to the latest data from Congo's Ministry of Health. In the Ituri province, where the outbreak is centered, many frontline workers have gone on strike, exacerbating the already limited access to healthcare in one of DR Congo's most remote and vulnerable areas.

The US Department of State announced an additional $242 million in funding for immediate Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the region, bringing the total direct assistance to over $512 million. However, the WHO reports that the response is expanding but still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also expressed concern, stating that the outbreak is spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate, with contact tracing failing to identify at least 60% to 70% of new cases. Dr Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC), attributed the high fatality rate to late detection of cases, with 44 out of the 77 most recent cases reported during a 24-hour period resulting in death.