Ebola cases in Congo rise 25% within one week
Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have surged by 25% in one week, straining local healthcare capacity. Health authorities are calling for an urgent increase in hospital beds to manage the outbreak.
Why it matters
Rapidly spreading infectious diseases in resource-constrained regions pose a significant threat to global public health security.
Nairobi,July 9, (dpa/GNA) – The number of confirmed cases of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has risen by 25% within a week, the African Union’s public health agency reported on Thursday.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the number of cases is rising more rapidly in the current outbreak than in previous outbreaks. The Congolese government has reported 1,759 laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease and 600 fatalities.
Capacity for treating Ebola patients is running short, with 95% of beds occupied. “We have to increase the number of hospital beds available by around 50% without delay,” Africa CDC infections specialist Wessam Mankoula said. He noted at the same time that control of the disease was possible, pointing to the example of neighbouring Uganda.
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