The World Health Organization estimates that the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could exceed two to four times the number of officially reported cases.

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared two months ago and has led to over 700 deaths out of 2,000 confirmed cases. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the director of the WHO's emergency program, stated that the scale of the epidemic could be two to four times greater than the official figures. The epidemic, which began in Ituri province, has spread to four other provinces and has generated 20 cases in Uganda.

This is the third most severe Ebola epidemic, with the fastest recorded expansion. Ihekweazu emphasized that many of the new cases are deceased individuals who did not receive medical care. The WHO is working to improve case detection and accessibility to health centers, noting progress in contact tracing and increasing treatment capacity. Additionally, two treatments are being tested and a clinical study on post-exposure prophylaxis will begin.