The key facts

  • 4,381 deaths and 9,066 infections from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Most deaths occurred outside medical facilities
  • WHO says the epidemic could exceed the 2014 West Africa outbreak that killed over 11,000 people

 

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 4,381 people have died as a result of Ebola infection, and the number of infected has reached 9,066. This was reported by the Associated Press, citing data from the country's Ministry of Health.

 

According to official data, at the end of September there were 3,900 deaths and 8,000 cases of Ebola infection registered in the country. Since then, the number of sick and dead has increased significantly.

 

The rising death toll is causing concern among medical workers and government officials. It is noted that most of the deaths occurred outside medical facilities.

 

The Ebola epidemic was officially declared on May 15 in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease subsequently spread to other regions of the country, as well as to neighboring Uganda. At the end of August, the World Health Organization announced the end of the virus's spread in Uganda.

 

The WHO assessed this epidemic as one of the fastest-developing epidemics in history. The organization stated that its scale could exceed even the major Ebola outbreak that occurred ten years ago in West Africa and claimed the lives of more than 11,000 people.