UN warns response lagging as Ebola deaths in DR Congo surpass 3,000
The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded 3,000, with the UN warning that the virus is spreading faster than current response efforts. Humanitarian agencies are calling for an urgent scale-up of medical and containment resources.
Why it matters
The rapid spread of Ebola in a conflict-prone region poses a significant threat to regional and global public health security.
KINSHASA – The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has surpassed 3,000, as the United Nations warned that the virus is spreading faster than response efforts.
As of Aug 31, the DRC had recorded 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths, according to an official situation report. A total of 1,409 patients have recovered, while 830 others remain in isolation or Ebola treatment centers.
The outbreak has affected 60 health zones across the six provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uele, Tshopo, South Kivu and Bas-Uele. Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for 81.9 percent of all confirmed cases nationwide.
During Tuesday's online briefing, Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, warned that the virus was still outpacing the scaled-up response.
"Unless we scale up urgently, more lives will be lost and the threat will grow," he said.
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