African CDC warns Ebola deaths rising as response lags in Congo

The African CDC raised concerns on Thursday that the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is still accelerating in several areas. Although the number of new cases has dipped in the past fortnight, officials cautioned against complacency, noting that the decline may not be sustained.

Official statistics as of 1 September indicate a case‑fatality ratio of 48.6 percent, with 3,039 deaths out of 6,250 confirmed infections. The outbreak has strained health infrastructure across six provinces, especially in Ituri, which alone accounts for over 80 percent of cases.

The United Nations has warned that community‑based deaths now exceed 60 percent of the weekly toll, underscoring challenges in timely referral to treatment centers. With more than 3,000 lives already lost, the agency called for heightened surveillance, rapid contact tracing, and accelerated vaccine deployment to curb further spread.