The Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday declared an end to the latest Ebola outbreak in the country that killed 45.
KINSHASA, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) — The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday declared an end to the latest Ebola outbreak in the country that killed 45.
“On behalf of the government, and taking into account all the scientific and operational indicators confirming that the chain of transmission of the virus has been broken, I hereby officially declare the end of the 16th Ebola outbreak in the DRC,” Health Minister Roger Kamba told a ceremony in the capital, Kinshasa.
On Sept. 4, the government confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province in central DRC, the country’s 16th outbreak since 1976.
The flare-up came amid an agitated public health environment, marked by the simultaneous resurgence of mpox, cholera, and measles across the country.
Monday’s ceremony was attended by DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka and officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since September, 64 cases have been reported in the Bulape health zone in Kasai, including 53 confirmed and 11 probable cases, with 45 deaths.
No new cases have been reported for the past 42 days since the last patient was discharged on Oct. 19, said the WHO.
“Controlling and ending this Ebola outbreak in three months is a remarkable achievement. National authorities, frontline health workers, partners, and communities acted with speed and unity in one of the country’s hard-to-reach localities,” said Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa.
According to the WHO, for the first time in an outbreak, an innovative treatment facility known as the Infectious Disease Treatment Module was set up to bolster safer and more patient-friendly care.
The module, developed by the WHO, the World Food Program, and other partners, was designed to better protect health workers while enabling more dignified and effective care for patients.
To protect communities and health workers, over 47,500 people were vaccinated against Ebola, with vaccination initially targeting contacts of confirmed cases before being expanded to communities in and around Bulape.
The WHO said that it continues to work with national and provincial authorities to maintain vigilance and ensure rapid response to any resurgence. The country has begun 90 days of enhanced surveillance, alongside a WHO-supported survivor care program offering post-recovery support.
The previous Ebola outbreak in the DRC occurred in 2022 in the eastern province of North Kivu.
Ebola is a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that causes symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain, and malaise, and in many cases, internal and external bleeding, according to the WHO. ■
DR Congo declares end to latest Ebola outbreak
