Congo's Ebola outbreak kills more than 1,000 people
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in over 1,000 deaths, marking it as the fastest-growing outbreak in history. Health officials are struggling due to a lack of vaccines and funding, though clinical trials for a new vaccine have recently begun.
Why it matters
The rapid spread of a deadly virus without an approved vaccine poses a significant threat to regional stability and global public health.
More than 1,000 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa's top health body said.Speaking at a health summit in Ghana on Wednesday, Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said 1,031 deaths have been confirmed.“These are people dying. They are dying because we don’t have vaccines, we don’t have medicine, we don’t have funding,” he added.According to the latest update from the DRC's Ministry of Health, 2,473 Ebola cases had been recorded as of Monday, with at least 737 patients in isolation or receiving hospital treatment.The outbreak, declared on 15 May, has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
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