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Congo Ebola Deaths Pass 4,000 as Camp Housing Treatment Centre Burns
More than 4,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, while the destruction of a displacement camp housing a transit centre for infected patients has added to the strain on the response.
Government figures released on October 2 recorded 4,018 deaths and 8,300 cases across seven provinces. More than 2,000 patients had recovered. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, is now the deadliest recorded in the DRC, according to Reuters.
The Associated Press reported that a senior United Nations official said soldiers searching for weapons burned an Ebola-hit displacement camp in Kigonze, near Bunia, earlier this week. The camp housed a transit centre for infected patients, and about 19,000 people were forced to flee. The UN’s Ebola coordinator warned that losing the centre reduced treatment capacity and left people with less access to care.
The response is also facing staffing and security challenges. Some health workers have protested over unpaid wages, and strikes have disrupted containment work. AP reported that at least 50 health workers have died after contracting the virus. While reported case numbers have fallen in some areas, health officials cautioned that insecurity and difficulty reaching communities may also be affecting surveillance and reporting.
The outbreak was declared in eastern Congo on May 15 and has spread across seven provinces, including North Kivu, where Médecins Sans Frontières said cases had increased. Authorities and aid groups are continuing efforts to detect cases, provide care and reach affected communities.
