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[HEALTH] · Congo - Kinshasa, Uganda · 85 sources

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DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 2,000 cases as spread accelerates

The World Health Organization warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than any previous epidemic. By mid‑July the country reported more than 2,000 confirmed infections and 796 deaths, making it the third‑largest Ebola outbreak on record. Over 80 % of new cases are being detected outside known contact lists, indicating missed transmission chains, and the majority are concentrated in the Ituri province, with additional spread to North Kivu, Haut‑Uélé and Tshopo.

Health‑worker strikes and attacks on treatment centres, including a recent assault on the Bunia Ebola treatment unit, have hampered response efforts. The WHO highlighted a funding gap of over $400 million and announced clinical trials of the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral remdesivir. Meanwhile, neighbouring Uganda has discharged its last Ebola patient and entered a 42‑day countdown to be declared Ebola‑free.

Despite the rapid case rise, the WHO noted progress: treatment capacity now exceeds 800 beds, laboratory sites have increased from one to sixteen, and 377 patients have recovered. The outbreak continues to outpace the response amid ongoing armed conflict in the eastern DRC.

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