The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director General encouraged urgent action Tuesday to contain the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that if countries “don’t stop the virus now it will become the worst outbreak the world has ever documented.”
“The Ebola outbreak is escalating at an alarming pace. We must act now. Unfortunately, we have now recorded 900 deaths. Sixty-five days into this outbreak, we already have more than 2,400 confirmed cases. If we do not stop it today, this will become the worst outbreak the world has ever documented,” he said.
“This is not the time for delay. We must mobilise every available resource, strengthen the response on the ground and stop this outbreak before more lives are lost”, he warned.
The virus has affected five provinces, including Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.
Ituri remains the epicenter of the epidemic caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, with sustained transmission.
The number of affected health zones increased from 36 to 42 in the last week, according to the World Health Organization.
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