The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now spreading “exponentially,” with more than 2,500 deaths recorded and half of them occurring in just the last 20 days, the United Nations’ senior Ebola coordinator said on Friday.
Speaking from Bunia, at the centre of the outbreak, Julien Harneis told reporters in Geneva that the epidemic is the worst in the country’s history and is spreading faster than any previous outbreak on record.
“The epidemic is spreading widely. It’s now covering an area bigger than France,” Harneis said, adding that transmission was outpacing the response effort.
Declared on 15 May, the outbreak is the DRC’s 17th and is believed to have been circulating for weeks before it was officially confirmed. It has taken hold in northern and eastern regions where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is limited, and armed groups have operated for decades.
Harneis said stepping up staffing and resources in remote parts of eastern DRC could slow transmission within months, but warned that without a stronger response, the outbreak “will become more deadly,” spread further, and risk crossing into neighbouring countries.
