Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are warning that gaps in contact tracing and continued deaths outside treatment centres are contributing to a renewed rise in Ebola transmission, as the country’s latest outbreak passes 8,000 confirmed cases.
The Health Ministry said the cumulative caseload had reached 8,067, including 3,901 deaths, putting the case fatality rate at 48.4 per cent.
The outbreak, declared in mid-May, has spread across 63 health zones in seven provinces, with Ituri accounting for more than three-quarters of all reported cases.
The latest situation report said most of the newly confirmed deaths occurred in communities rather than treatment centres, particularly in Ituri and North Kivu, where difficulties detecting cases quickly have delayed access to care.
Contact tracing - a key tool for identifying people who may have been exposed to the virus - has also weakened, falling to 79.2 per cent from 83.4 per cent previously.
Health officials reported continued transmission in Haut-Uele and a resurgence in Tshopo, while South Ubangi and other newly affected areas have expanded the outbreak's geographical reach.
The World Health Organization warned last week that this wider spread was increasing the risk of cross-border transmission.
It also highlighted the rising fatality rate and the growing number of people dying in their communities as signs of the outbreak's severity.
The response has required substantial international support. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, at least $2.9 billion has been mobilised for Ebola efforts across Africa, underscoring the scale of resources being deployed to contain the disease.
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