Health authorities and international partners are stepping up efforts to contain Congo’s Ebola outbreak as infections near 4,000, with officials agreeing on a coordinated strategy to accelerate detection, treatment and community engagement.
The World Health Organization said Thursday that it had reached an agreement with the Congolese government, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners to strengthen coordination and align the response with the worsening outbreak.
Congo has reported 3,973 Ebola cases, including 1,801 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, according to the latest Health Ministry figures. The epidemic is now the second-largest recorded Ebola outbreak in the world.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said partners agreed that the response must adapt to the pace of the outbreak while ensuring that efforts remain led by Congolese authorities.
The outbreak has spread across 51 health zones in five provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo. Ituri remains the hardest-hit area, accounting for 87.1% of all reported cases.
At a meeting in Kinshasa, officials emphasized the need to protect frontline health workers and community responders by ensuring they have proper protective equipment and support as they continue working in affected areas.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said more than $420 million has been mobilized to support containment efforts, while a broader continental response plan requires $1.4 billion.
Authorities are also expanding surveillance measures after intercepting a boat carrying about 200 people traveling toward Kinshasa following a suspicious death that may have been linked to Ebola.
The boat was stopped about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from the capital after departing from Tshopo province. Health officials deployed a mobile laboratory to screen passengers and assess possible exposure.
WHO said it would continue working with Congo and other partners to ensure the response matches the scale and urgency of the outbreak.
