WHO Says Congo Ebola on Track to Be Deadliest Ever
The World Health Organization warned the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to become the deadliest on record and is spreading faster than any before it, having now reached a sixth province. More than 2,000 people have died. Aid agencies say responders on the ground lack the resources they need.
The spread to a sixth province, Bas-Uele in the north-east, signals that containment is slipping, and the WHO’s director-general has cautioned the epidemic could surpass the West African outbreak of 2014 to 2016, which killed more than 11,000. Effective vaccines exist this time, but deploying them across a vast, insecure region with weak health infrastructure is a formidable task, and Oxfam has warned of a shortfall in resources. Mistrust of health workers and porous borders have helped the virus outrun the response. International agencies are scaling up support against a narrowing window, wary of the outbreak reaching neighbouring countries or major cities. Watch whether the response can finally slow the spread before it becomes the worst on record.