Congo Ebola Toll Passes 2,100 as Outbreak Spreads
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 2,100 people and spread to a sixth province, with the World Health Organization warning it is on track to become the deadliest on record. The agency says the virus is spreading faster than in any previous outbreak. Vaccination efforts are struggling to keep pace.
The WHO’s director-general has warned the epidemic could eclipse the West African outbreak of 2014 to 2016, which killed more than 11,000, and its spread to a sixth province signals that containment is faltering. Effective vaccines exist, unlike in that earlier disaster, but reaching remote and insecure areas to deploy them is a formidable challenge in a region scarred by conflict and displacement. Mistrust of health workers and porous borders have helped the virus outrun the response. International agencies are scaling up support, wary of the outbreak reaching neighbouring countries or major cities. Watch whether the vaccination drive can finally slow the spread within the WHO’s three-month target.