No fewer than 10,000 people have tested positive for Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says the Norwegian Refugee Council, which called for urgent scale-up in response to curb the spread of contagion, particularly after Kenya and Nigeria also confirmed cases of the virus.
Nearly 50 per cent of the 10,000 infected people had died from the virus, the council said when announcing the latest figures.
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has now confirmed more than 10,000 cases of Ebola in the current Bundibugyo virus outbreak,” the NRC said in a statement on Wednesday.
It warned that the outbreak will continue to outpace the response if the government fails to adopt measures and strategies to anticipate the virus and “bring it under control.”
The resurgence of Ebola in the DR Congo has devastated several communities, including Ituri, which was already grappling with internal conflict and mass displacement.
“As I move around Ituri, I’m seeing just how hard the disease is hitting communities, and I am struck by how much more needs to be done to bring this outbreak under control,” Silvia Beccacece, NRC emergency team leader, said in a statement.
The outbreak has compounded the hardships faced by residents of Ituri, many of whom have endured years of violence, displacement and inadequate access to essential services, according to the council.
Ms Beccacece said the rising infections indicated the government’s strategy was not working.
“Ten thousand confirmed cases must be a wake-up call that this response is not getting ahead of the outbreak, and is not supporting communities with what they need to bring transmission under control,” Ms Beccacece said.
“The warning signs are here for all to see: now it depends on whether leaders will take notice and take the required action.”