Ebola outbreak declines in DRC, transmission persists in key provinces

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is showing signs of decline, although transmission remains active in some provinces, particularly North Kivu, health authorities said on Tuesday.

Dieudonne Mwamba Kazadi, head of the National Institute of Public Health, said the epidemic appeared to have peaked around mid August following a strategic coordination meeting in Kinshasa.

He, however, warned that the downward trend was not uniform across the country, with some areas continuing to record rising infections.

According to a government report covering the situation as of Sunday, the country had recorded 7,258 confirmed Ebola cases, including 3,510 deaths and 1,726 recoveries.

Another 905 patients were either isolated or receiving treatment in health facilities, while the case fatality rate stood at 48.4 per cent.

The outbreak has affected 62 health zones across seven provinces, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele, Tshopo and Sud-Ubangi.

Health authorities said sustained transmission was continuing in Ituri, North Kivu and Haut-Uele, while sporadic cases were being reported in Tshopo and Bas-Uele.

The outbreak, declared in May, has become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic in the DRC’s history.

It is also the second largest Ebola epidemic globally, after the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa.