DR Congo Ebola cases top 1,200 amid outbreak

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Health Ministry announced late Friday that Ebola virus cases have climbed to 1,203 since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, including 321 deaths and 148 recoveries. The latest figures indicate that 419 patients remain in isolation or hospitalized while the Bundibugyo strain has now affected 34 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.Ituri remains the epicenter of the crisis, where health officials face severe capacity constraints and community reluctance to cooperate with postmortem testing protocols. "The government reminds everyone that the fight against Ebola is everyone's responsibility," the ministry said in a statement, urging citizens to report suspected cases, adhere to hygiene measures and avoid handling bodies of deceased persons.Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director General Jean Kaseya said Thursday that international partners remain fully committed to containing the outbreak through a coordinated response involving the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and French and Congolese authorities. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the additional complications posed by regional conflict, stating Saturday on social media that "war makes fighting Ebola so much harder, blocking access, scattering contacts, and driving people into hiding out of fear and mistrust."The epidemic shows no signs of immediate containment as health teams struggle to reach 95 percent contact follow-up targets while managing 419 patients currently in isolation or hospital care across the three affected provinces.