Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed alarming insights on Tuesday, suggesting that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) might be significantly underreported, with the actual scale potentially being four times larger than the official figures indicate.
According to France24.com, the DRC's latest official numbers report that more than 1,960 individuals have been infected and over 700 have died since the outbreak was identified two months ago. However, WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu explained in Geneva that their modeling suggests the outbreak's true magnitude could be at least two to four times higher than recorded.
This outbreak is already considered one of the largest in history, with the virus spreading at an unprecedented rate. "This is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever, and we've seen the fastest growth in a single month since the outbreak started, and of all the Ebola outbreaks that we've managed," Ihekweazu stated. The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15, following several deaths in the mineral-rich northeastern province of Ituri, an area troubled by armed groups.
Ebola cases have been identified in five DRC provinces and have also crossed into neighboring Uganda. However, Ihekweazu noted that over 90 percent of cases are still being reported in Ituri. After a week-long visit to the region, he described the ongoing situation as "deeply concerning".
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. The crisis "continues to outpace the response efforts by the national authorities, international partners, including WHO, and the communities most affected," Ihekweazu remarked. A particularly distressing aspect is that many newly reported cases involve individuals who died in their communities without accessing healthcare facilities.
Despite these challenges, Ihekweazu expressed optimism about the increased response efforts. "Treatment capacity now exceeds 700 beds and continues to increase each week; laboratory capacity has expanded dramatically... and contact follow-up rates are approaching 80 percent," he noted.
He also mentioned witnessing some of the highest numbers of new infections in a single day recently. "A few days ago, we saw over 80 cases confirmed in a single day," he said, viewing this as a positive development since it indicates fewer cases are escaping detection. "It's a sign of a maturing response," he concluded.