The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 4,000 people, according to the latest figures from the country's Health Ministry. Released on Thursday, the data show 4,018 deaths among 8,300 recorded cases since the outbreak was declared in the east of the country on 15 May. A total of 2,162 people have recovered, putting the fatality rate to date at about 48 percent. Le Monde Afrique describes it as the worst epidemic in the country's history.
Children have been hit especially hard. The charity Save the Children, citing ministry figures, says at least 2,071 people under 18 have been infected, and 961 of them have died, almost one in two. About seven children have died every day on average since the virus was detected. Some 623 of those deaths were among children under five, whose case fatality rate of 61 percent is well above the outbreak's overall rate. The organisation has called for stronger protection for the youngest children as the virus continues to spread across eastern Congo.
The outbreak began in Ituri province, in the northeast, and has since reached seven provinces in the north and east. These are unstable regions where armed groups are active, resources are scarce and mistrust of authorities runs deep among many residents. The UN said recent clashes between local militias in Ituri have displaced more than 5,000 people and hampered the response. On Tuesday, a transit centre for Ebola patients in the province burned down after soldiers entered a site for displaced people, who then fled, according to the UN. Congolese authorities also said a contractor responsible for detecting cases was killed in an attack on a health facility in North Kivu province.
The M23, an anti-government group backed by Rwanda's capital Kigali according to the sources, stated on Friday that it had recorded four deaths among six cases in areas of North Kivu under its control. Health workers face particular risk of infection in remote areas with poor medical infrastructure.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, a less common variant than the Zaire strain. Several vaccines and treatments are being studied. Doses of Ervebo, a vaccine proven effective against the Zaire strain, have been given in recent weeks to volunteer frontline staff as part of a clinical trial. On the international front, the United States has announced a further €237 million to fight the disease. France's foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, was due to visit Bunia, the capital of Ituri, on Friday to show support for local authorities and aid workers. France allocated €13.4 million to the Ebola response between January and July, though there is no indication of new humanitarian funding.
Why this matters: the combination of a high death toll, a heavy burden on young children and ongoing violence shows how conflict and distrust can undermine efforts to contain a deadly virus, while the absence of a proven vaccine for this strain leaves responders with limited tools.