Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo Spreading Exponentially- UN

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an alarming rate, with more than 2,500 people reportedly killed in the past three months, according to the United Nations’ senior Ebola coordinator, Julien Harneis.

Harneis, who spoke to reporters in Geneva on Friday from Bunia, the epicentre of the outbreak, described the situation as “growing exponentially.”

He said about half of the reported deaths had occurred within the last 20 days, highlighting the rapid deterioration of the outbreak.

“The epidemic is spreading widely. It’s now covering an area that is bigger than France,” Harneis said, warning that the disease was spreading faster and across a wider area than the ongoing response efforts.

The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak and is believed to have been circulating for several weeks before it was officially detected.

It has affected areas in the country’s north and east, where weak government presence, limited healthcare infrastructure and the activities of armed groups have complicated efforts to contain the virus.

Harneis called for an urgent increase in resources and personnel, particularly in remote areas of eastern DRC.

He said strengthening the response could help slow transmission and eventually halt the outbreak within months.

However, he warned that failure to scale up the response could lead to more deaths, wider transmission and a risk of the virus spreading to neighbouring countries.

The latest outbreak is already the largest in the country’s history and, according to Harneis, is spreading faster than any Ebola outbreak recorded previously.