The number of people who have died from Ebola since the start of this year’s outbreak has now surpassed the 2,299 deaths that were recorded during the last one, which ran from 2018 to 2020. As of Aug 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases, the highest number ever recorded in the country, according to government sources. Making today’s count an estimated 2,325 dead compared to those figures.
There are many reasons why the numbers are ticking up at such a fast rate. For one thing, the current outbreak, declared in May, is being fueled by a rare variant of the virus called Bundibugyo. And as of now, there isn’t an approved vaccine or treatment for that particular strain, Reuters reported.
This year’s outbreak is the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic in the world – only beaten by the 2014 to 2016 one in West Africa, which left over 11,000 dead.
WHO says the situation remains a phase of intense transmission as cases have emerged from places that had never before been touched by the disease. It is now in six provinces.
“With an adequate provision for resources, I think we are well positioned to bring this outbreak under control in three months,” WHO’s incident manager Dr Thierno Balde told journalists on Friday.
The WHO said that challenges such as delayed detection of cases, conflict, strains on health services and lack of trust among communities have made responding more complex.
It has called for greater efforts from authorities to boost disease surveillance, testing, treatment and contact tracing to help curb its spread.
