WHO: Ebola Declining in Some Areas, but the Epidemic Continues

Ebola transmission has declined in some of the hardest-hit areas of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the epidemic continues to spread in other parts of the country, the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said encouraging signs had emerged in the hardest-hit areas of Ituri, while in South Kivu no new cases have been reported since May and more than 1,700 people have recovered.

However, the situation remains concerning. According to Tedros, more than 7,200 cases and over 3,500 deaths have been reported across seven provinces.

In Ituri alone, around 300 new cases and 160 deaths were registered in the past week, figures that make up almost half of the total reported nationwide.

North Kivu is also recording a rapid rise in cases, where weekly infections have doubled over the past two weeks, from around 100 to more than 200.

Tedros said the outbreak has remained largely confined to the northeast of the country, while a small outbreak in Uganda was “stopped quickly”.

However, the WHO chief warned that key indicators have not yet improved enough and that efforts to contain the epidemic will need to be stepped up in the coming months.