Ebola deaths in DR Congo reach 3,779 as cases surge in North Kivu
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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 3,779 people, with 7,820 confirmed cases. Treatment centers in the city of Butembo are overwhelmed, and patients are dying in reception areas before receiving care. The outbreak is spreading to new, unprepared areas despite additional treatment centers being opened.
Key Facts
- The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has killed 3,779 people and confirmed 7,820 cases.
- In Butembo, a city of two million in North Kivu province, treatment centers are overwhelmed and severely ill patients cannot find free beds.
- Médecins Sans Frontières project coordinator Stephanie Hoffmann reported a sharp rise in cases over the past two weeks and described a 10-year-old boy dying in her arms in a reception area.
- City authorities opened two additional medical centers due to increased demand, but some patients arrive in such poor condition that doctors cannot help them.
- MSF emergency coordinator Anthony Kergosien stated that the outbreak is not under control and is spreading to new, unprepared areas.
Outbreak Scale
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 3,779 people and confirmed 7,820 cases. The situation is especially critical in North Kivu province, where the city of Butembo, with a population of two million, is facing overwhelmed treatment centers. Médecins Sans Frontières project coordinator Stephanie Hoffmann reported a very sharp rise in cases over the past two weeks. Some patients know they have Ebola but cannot find a hospital bed, Hoffmann said.
Treatment Capacity
City authorities in Butembo opened two additional medical centers in response to the increased demand. Despite the new facilities, some patients arrive in such poor condition that doctors cannot save them. Hoffmann described a 10-year-old boy who died in her arms in a reception area after failing to get a place in a clinic. Medical workers on the front lines say cases continue to be detected in new and insufficiently prepared areas.
Spread Assessment
MSF emergency coordinator Anthony Kergosien warned that it would be a mistake to assume the outbreak is under control because some Ebola treatment centers are receiving fewer patients. The outbreak is not decreasing; it is spreading, Kergosien said. Earlier, Kursiv reported that DR Congo allocated 20,000 doses of Ebola vaccine for clinical trials.
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