{
  "id": 7583198,
  "title": "UN says progress in Congo Ebola fight but too early to call peak",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/un-says-progress-in-congo-ebola-fight-but-too-early-to-call-peak",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-15T15:08:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/un-says-progress-in-congo-ebola-fight-but-too-early-to-call-peak/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United Nations reported on Tuesday that there are indications of progress in the fight against Ebola in eastern Congo, but cautioned that the epidemic remains \"massive\" and would take significant time to control. Julien Harneis, the UN special Ebola coordinator, stated that while there are areas of improvement, other regions continue to see an increase in cases. The outbreak is the second deadliest on record, following a 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa.\n\nCongo's Health Minister, Samuel Roger Kamba, expressed \"encouraging signs\" in the battle against Ebola since \"the peak reached in mid-August\", noting a decline in daily new cases from approximately 120 to around 80. He emphasized that 10 out of the 62 affected health zones have recorded no new cases for over 22 days. Kamba urged the public not to let their guard down despite the positive developments.\n\nJean-Jacques Muyembe, director of Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research, reported that the situation in Ituri province, where the first cases were detected, has significantly improved. He stated that indicators are now \"green\" in Ituri, where they were previously red. However, he cautioned that the epidemic is not yet over and hoped it would be contained by the end of the year.\n\nAs of Tuesday, there have been 7,258 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces in Congo. Although UN officials observed improvement in parts of Ituri, the most affected province, they warned that the epidemic is still rapidly spreading in North Kivu, particularly in the city of Butembo. Harneis, the UN special Ebola coordinator, emphasized the vastness of the epidemic and the difficulty in discussing it as a single entity. He noted that past outbreaks have shown early signs of improvement but can quickly escalate again.\n\nThe situation in North Kivu is deemed alarming by aid workers due to its complex security situation, high population density, and mobility. Thomas Paerisch, a public health specialist with Medecins Sans Frontieres, expressed concern over the challenges faced in curbing transmission in the region. North Kivu has reported 1,269 confirmed cases, including 555 in the last 21 days as of September 12.",
  "summary": "There have been 7 258 confirmed cases and 3 510 deaths across seven provinces.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Ebola outbreak in DR Congo claims 3,475 lives: WHO",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/ebola-outbreak-in-dr-congo-claims-3-475-lives-who",
        "published": "2026-09-15T13:14:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}