UN Warns Congo Ebola Is Killing One Person Every 30 Minutes
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now killing roughly one person every 30 minutes, the United Nations said, as the World Health Organization warned it is on track to become the deadliest on record. Confirmed cases have topped 4,600 and the virus has spread to a sixth province. The WHO and Britain announced a stepped-up response.
The stark framing — a death every half hour — conveys how fast the epidemic is outrunning efforts to contain it, and its spread to a sixth province signals that the response is losing ground. The WHO’s director-general has cautioned it could surpass the West African outbreak of 2014 to 2016, which killed more than 11,000, and aid agencies warn that responders lack the resources they need. Vaccines exist this time, but deploying them across a vast, insecure region with weak health systems and deep mistrust of outsiders is a formidable task. The pledge of extra support from London and the WHO is a recognition of the danger of the virus crossing borders. The coming weeks will test whether the tide can be turned. Watch whether the stepped-up effort slows the spread.