Daijiworld Media Network - Kinshasa

Kinshasa, Sep 18: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded more than 7,200 confirmed Ebola cases, as ongoing transmission persists across several provinces despite a broader downward trend in the epidemic, according to governmental data released on Tuesday.

An official report detailing the epidemiological situation as of Sunday confirmed 7,258 cases across seven provinces, resulting in 3,510 deaths and 1,726 recoveries. With 905 patients currently hospitalised or in isolation, the overall fatality rate stands at 48.4 percent, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.

Following a strategic coordination meeting in Kinshasa on Monday, National Institute of Public Health head Dieudonne Mwamba Kazadi noted that the overall epidemic curve is trending downward, with the peak having occurred around mid-August. However, he cautioned that the decline remains uneven nationwide, with provinces like North Kivu continuing to report case increases.

Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya announced on Friday, citing Health Minister Roger Kamba, that the 17th Ebola outbreak is officially "under control" and past its peak. Major indicators point toward a general decline, with 10 previously affected health zones reporting no new cases for at least 21 days and transmission slowing in the eastern epicentre of Ituri. Nevertheless, local flare-ups, continued transmission, and the spread to a seventh province highlight persistent risks.

The outbreak has impacted 62 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, and Sud-Ubangi. While sustained transmission continues in Ituri, North Kivu, and Haut-Uele, sporadic cases have emerged in Tshopo and Bas-Uele. Declared in May, this current health crisis has escalated into the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic in the DRC's history and the second-largest globally, trailing only the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.