WHO identifies positive developments in combating the Ebola epidemic in Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that transmission of the epidemic is declining in the hardest-hit areas of Ituri province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the outbreak continues to spread and cause deaths in other regions of the country.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva that there are encouraging signs in Ituri. In South Kivu province, no new cases have been reported since May. However, the epidemic has so far caused more than 7,200 cases and over 3,500 deaths in seven provinces.

The situation is more serious in North Kivu, where the number of weekly cases has nearly doubled over the past two weeks, from approximately 100 to more than 200. Tedros warned that the region is so extensive that it cannot be considered a single outbreak, but comprises several active outbreaks.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, spoke of cautious optimism and stressed that assessing trends takes time.

Last week, Congolese authorities announced that the epidemic had spread to seven provinces.