The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is still spreading but is showing “encouraging” signs of improvement, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, disclosed this on Wednesday during a news conference in Geneva.
“We are starting to see encouraging signs that we’re gaining ground,” Tedros said.
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in mid-May. Since then, more than 7,200 cases and 3,500 deaths have been recorded across seven northern and eastern provinces affected by insecurity and the activities of armed groups.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe internal and external bleeding, as well as organ failure. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades.
Tedros said transmission had begun to decline in the worst-affected areas of Ituri province, the epicentre of the current outbreak.
He added that South Kivu province had not recorded a new case since May.
“Trials of treatments and post-exposure prophylaxis are picking up speed, due to increased community engagement,” he said.
According to Tedros, vaccine trials are also expected to begin in the coming weeks.
However, the WHO chief cautioned against complacency, stressing that the outbreak remains active and deadly.
“Make no mistake: the epidemic continues to grow and continues to kill,” he said.
Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic management at the WHO, also warned that the response would require sustained efforts.
“We still have many, many months ahead of us,” she said.
