New Ebola Outbreak Hits DRC, 15 Fatalities Reported

The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared a new outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths have been reported.

The outbreak is the 16th recorded in the country since the disease was first identified in 1976.

The World Health Organization has dispatched experts to join the Congolese response team in Kasai Province to rapidly strengthen disease surveillance, treatment, and infection prevention and control in health facilities. The DRC has a stockpile of treatments and 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, effective against the Zaire strain.

Health authorities are working to deploy the vaccine and ensure logistics are in place to halt the spread of the virus and protect communities.

The country’s health infrastructure faces challenges due to poor communication lines and limited resources. The DRC has experienced several Ebola outbreaks in the past, including a major outbreak between 2018 and 2020 that claimed nearly 2,300 lives.