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Uganda discharges last-remaining patient, as WHO says Ebola has ‘expanded faster than any previous outbreak’ in DRC.
Published On ۱۶ Jul ۲۰۲۶
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Ebola is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo more quickly than in any previous outbreak.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC in ۲۰۱۸-۲۰۲۰ “took more than ۱۰ months to reach ۲,۰۰۰ confirmed cases”. But this time more than ۲,۰۰۰ cases were confirmed in only two months, including ۷۹۶ deaths.
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“It is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record,” Tedros said. “In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak.”
The DRC reported ۶۲ new cases on Thursday, increasing its total number of confirmed infections to ۲,۰۷۳, though the WHO has said the true tally could be at least double that.
The DRC’s ۱۷th Ebola outbreak was declared on May ۱۵ after several deaths in Ituri, the mineral-rich northeastern province patrolled by several armed groups.
Cases of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, have so far been found in five DRC provinces and neighbouring Uganda, though the vast majority are in Ituri.
The WHO chief highlighted that over ۸۰ percent of new cases were being detected “outside known contact lists, showing that transmission chains are still being missed”.
He added that ۳۷۷ people have recovered from Ebola in the DRC, “showing that with early diagnosis and safe care, this disease can be survived and stopped”.
To compound problems in Ituri, healthcare workers began a strike and blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital on Wednesday. Staff said they had not received any compensation for their work since the outbreak began, despite working under extremely difficult conditions.
In Uganda, things were looking up as its last remaining Ebola patient was discharged on Thursday, starting a ۴۲-day countdown after which it can be declared Ebola-free, said the East African nation’s health ministry.
Uganda had ۲۰ cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola since mid-May. Fifteen were people infected in the DRC who then travelled to Uganda.
Unlike the surging number of infections in DRC, Uganda has not reported a new case since June ۲۲ .
“Today, Uganda has discharged the last Ebola patient, a Congolese national who has successfully recovered and [is] ready to be with his family,” Uganda’s health ministry posted on X.
“Uganda starts counting down. If ۴۲ days pass without a single new case, WHO guidelines stipulate that we will be declared Ebola-free.”
