The World Health Organization has expressed concern over the escalating Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Equateur province.
In a media briefing on Friday, the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom announced that 100 cases had already been reported in the current outbreak which started on 1 June.
“The outbreak continues to increase and to spread geographically. Yesterday the 100th case was reported, with 43 deaths in 11 health zones across the province,” he said.
Tedros lamented a delay in alerts issued in the occurrence of a suspected Ebola case in the Equateur province.
He said there is currently a five-day delay from the onset of symptoms to when an alert is raised.
“This is concerning, because the longer an Ebola patient goes without treatment, the lower their chances of survival & the longer the virus can spread unseen in communities,” he noted.
The Ebola response in the region has also been hampered by a health workers’ strike which Tedros said “is affecting activities including vaccination and safe burials.”
