Key Points
- Ebola outbreak has expanded from one to six provinces in the DRC.
- The affected area now covers about 240,000 square kilometres.
- Africa CDC says 6,206 confirmed cases and 3,009 deaths have been recorded.
Main Story
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expanded to six provinces and 60 health zones, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said.
The agency described the situation as extremely serious, saying transmission had continued despite response efforts by the DRC government and its partners.
In a post on its official X account on Thursday, Africa CDC said the outbreak, declared on May 15, had initially affected one province and two health zones.
It said the affected area now covered approximately 240,000 square kilometres, an area comparable to the size of the United Kingdom and nearly five times the size of Switzerland.
According to the agency, the outbreak has so far recorded 6,206 confirmed cases and 3,009 deaths.
The Issues
The expansion across six provinces and 60 health zones increases the geographical scope of the response required to contain transmission.
Africa CDC said the scale of the affected area and the number of reported cases and deaths underscored the seriousness of the public health emergency.
What’s Being Said
“The affected area now covers approximately 240,000 square kilometres, comparable to the size of the United Kingdom and nearly five times Switzerland.” – Africa CDC.
“The outbreak has recorded 6,206 confirmed cases and 3,009 deaths, underscoring the severity of the public health emergency.” – Africa CDC.
What’s Next
Africa CDC said it was working with the World Health Organisation and other partners to support the DRC government and strengthen ongoing response efforts.
The partners are working to bring transmission under control as the outbreak continues to spread across affected provinces and health zones.
Bottom Line
Africa CDC says the Ebola outbreak in the DRC remains extremely serious, with transmission now reported across six provinces and 60 health zones. The agency and its partners are supporting the government’s efforts to contain the outbreak.
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