DRC Ebola outbreak spreads fast: more than 70 health workers infected

The World Health Organization said in an emergency briefing on Friday that more than 70 health workers have been exposed to the virus in the Ebola outbreak spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and that the total confirmed case count has tripled in the past two weeks. The epicentre is Kasai province and rural areas south-east of Kinshasa.

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters that the capacity of local health infrastructure had been overrun and that area hospitals were short on beds and protective equipment. The agency is planning, together with MSF and UNICEF, to deliver vaccine stocks to the region within two weeks. The Congolese Health Ministry has called for international expert teams to be deployed urgently.

The outbreak is moving faster because logistical corridors in conflict-affected zones of the country are closed. In some areas held by M23 rebels, access for health teams is limited. The United States, Germany and Canada have announced emergency aid commitments. Whether WHO will declare a global public-health emergency (PHEIC) in the coming days will be decisive.