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Record Ebola Cases Reported in DRC
15 Jun
Summary
- DRC reported 72 new Ebola cases on June 13, reaching 782 total.
- Contact tracing at 56.5% is far below WHO's 90%-95% target.
- US pledges $50 million for vaccine development against Ebola strain.
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported a record one-day increase of 72 confirmed Ebola cases on June 13, raising the total to 782 since the outbreak began one month prior. The cumulative death toll has reached 181.
The majority of these cases are concentrated in the northeastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. Two new health zones, Nia-Nia and Mabalako, have reported cases for the first time, expanding the affected areas to 31 health zones.
Contact tracing efforts are significantly lagging, with only 56.5% of identified contacts being followed up, falling well below the World Health Organization's recommended 90%-95% target for containment.
Uganda has also reported 19 confirmed cases and two deaths, largely attributed to cross-border transmission from the DRC. United Nations agencies have warned that children in the eastern DRC may be increasingly affected, especially due to community hesitance and difficulties in surveillance.
In response, the U.S. State Department has committed $50 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate the development of vaccines and treatments for the specific Ebola strain driving the current outbreak. Additionally, the U.S. has pledged over $270 million directly to Ebola response activities.
