Congo's Ebola outbreak passes 4,000 deaths, ministry figures show; camp transit center burns

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak has caused more than 4,000 deaths, according to the latest Health Ministry figures. That is close to half of the 8,300 confirmed cases. It is the largest Ebola outbreak recorded in the country.

Congo declared the outbreak on 15 May. The Bundibugyo virus causes it. This Ebola species has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Ituri province, whose capital is Bunia, is the epicenter. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the virus is spreading into new health zones, which stretches limited resources. Insecurity in eastern Congo is hampering efforts to contain it.

The United Nations confirmed that an Ebola transit center at the Kigonze displacement camp near Bunia burned down. The camp housed about 19,000 people. Security forces were searching it for weapons shortly before residents fled. Julien Harneis, the U.N.'s senior Ebola coordinator in Congo, said the loss made the response harder. The Hindu quoted him as saying: "When we lose a centre, that means we lose capacity, we lose investment, and we have to start again. And above all, it means that people do not get access to the care that they really need."

Figures and spread

Daily Sabah, citing the Health Ministry, reported 8,224 confirmed cases and 3,982 deaths as of 29 September. Phys.org carried AP reporting. Both it and The Hindu cited ministry figures released on 1 October: 4,018 deaths among 8,300 confirmed cases. According to AP, weekly cases fell from about 850 in mid-July to an average of 490 in September. AP calls it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. Daily Sabah reported that the virus has reached 63 health zones in seven provinces.

Two health officials told Reuters that about 1,000 Ebola contacts were living at Kigonze, according to Daily Sabah. One official said only about one-fifth had been traced after residents fled.

According to AP, more than 50 health workers have died after contracting the virus. AP also reported that unpaid health workers who protested in Bunia were quickly dispersed. AP said a local official of the ruling party, Marie-Célestin Karondwa, died after an attack at his home in Butembo. It said he was attacked for defending government measures against the outbreak.

What is disputed

AP quoted a senior U.N. official as saying that soldiers searching for weapons burned the camp and forced 19,000 people to flee. Daily Sabah's account says clashes followed the search and thousands fled over several days. That account does not say who burned the transit center. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi include no response from Congo's army or government.

What each side says

• United Nations: The challenge "just became even harder" after the transit center burned, The Hindu reported.
• Africa CDC: New cases are falling, according to AP. It said insecurity and poor community cooperation could explain part of this decline.
• U.N. refugee agency: It says the true toll in displacement sites is likely higher than recorded, according to Daily Sabah.
• Médecins Sans Frontières: "The human cost of this crisis is unprecedented in the DRC," The Hindu quoted it as saying.
• Protesting health workers: They say they have not been paid for months. Their placards read "No money, no data!"

Analysis

The reported decline in weekly cases may suggest progress. However, Africa CDC said insecurity and limited community cooperation could partly explain the lower numbers. That means the figures may not fully reflect transmission. The loss of the Kigonze transit center and the reported scattering of untraced contacts could make case detection harder in Ituri. Unpaid health workers and violence linked to the response add further pressure. The impact will likely depend on several factors. These include whether contacts can be traced, whether funding and wages improve, and whether the dispute over what happened at Kigonze is clarified by Congolese authorities or an independent inquiry.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.