Chikwe Ihekweazu, who is responsible for the WHO's health emergency management program, informed the press that the scale of the Ebola epidemic could be between two and four times higher than the number of cases recorded so far. However, he stressed that the organization's capacity to identify cases has shown continuous improvements.
The epidemic, declared two months ago in Ituri, located in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) and on the border with South Sudan and Uganda, has already resulted in 702 official deaths and 1,926 confirmed cases, according to the latest government data. Currently, the disease has spread to four more provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, and Haut-Uele. Additionally, 20 cases have been reported in the neighboring country, Uganda.
Ihekweazu classified this outbreak as the third largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded and the one that has shown the fastest advance in a single month among all epidemics managed by the organization. According to the specialist, despite the advances made, the epidemic continues to outpace the response efforts of both local authorities and international partners, including the WHO itself, and the affected communities.
The most worrying aspect is that many of the new reported cases involve individuals who died in their own communities without ever seeking medical attention or receiving formal care. The WHO official emphasized the urgent need to detect cases earlier, intensify contact tracing, and ensure that health centers are safe, accessible, and reliable for the populations served. He mentioned that over 90% of cases are still detected in Ituri.
Among the positive points, Ihekweazu highlighted that the contact tracing rate is close to 80%, there are 700 beds available for treatment, and the number of laboratories has increased from one to 14. Furthermore, he recalled that two treatments are being tested locally. Soon, the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa, the French agency ANRS MIE, and the NGO Alima are expected to announce a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) clinical trial based on the antiviral obeldesivir for people exposed to confirmed cases.
According to data published by the country's health authorities on Sunday, Ebola cases have been recorded in five provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The total number of confirmed cases nationwide has reached 1873, including 672 fatalities.
The report, covering data up to Friday, listed the following affected provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo. The provinces of Haut-Uele and Tshopo were included in the national situation report for the first time.
Investigations showed that cases found in two provinces are epidemiologically linked to an outbreak focus in Ituri province through contact and population movement. According to the report, 763 patients were isolated or receiving treatment in hospitals, with the overall bed occupancy rate in medical facilities reaching 95.1%.
A total of 306 people recovered, and 299 suspected cases were registered, of which 91 died. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, was officially declared on May 15.
