Algerian Radio
The Congolese Health Minister, Mr. Roger Kamba, announced on Thursday evening that the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 381, including 63 deaths.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Kinshasa, Mr.Kamba stated that 233 patients are currently receiving treatment in health facilities, either under quarantine awaiting test results or receiving care following the progression of the disease.
The Minister explained that the country's testing capabilities have improved significantly following the arrival of over 4,000 test kits from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), along with additional international support. This has enabled health authorities to screen nearly all samples and provide results within 24 hours.
He also noted that contact tracing efforts have improved from approximately 9% at the start of the response to 55% currently, with a target of reaching 90%. This improvement will allow authorities to identify almost all contacts and better predict the locations of new cases.
Mr.Kamba added that the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has so far affected three provinces: Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu.
The DRC declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15, and since then, health authorities and international partners have intensified screening, isolation, treatment, and contact tracing efforts in the affected eastern provinces. The World Health Organization (WHO) subsequently classified this outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in neighboring Uganda announced 16 confirmed cases, with one new infection reported on Thursday.
