DRC’s Ebola outbreak to last 6 months more, WHO says

The World Health Organization’s emergency response has revealed that the Ebola outbreak in the northeastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo which has killed more than 200 people will last for another six months.

That much information was revealed by the organization’s emergency response chief Peter Salama while he was speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

“It’s very hard to predict timeframes in an outbreak as complicated as this with so many variables that are outside our control, but certainly we’re planning on at least another six months before we can declare this outbreak over,” he said.

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The comments by the UN emergency response chief comes after Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo now fear that the country may be facing its worst Ebola outbreak recorded in the country’s history.

Reports say the announcement follows warnings that the outbreak may worsen due to armed group attacks and community resistance.

According to DRC’s health minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga, a total of 319 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in North Kivu and Ituri provinces since the outbreak was declared in August.

He said the figure exceeds the 318 cases documented in 1976, when the deadly Ebola virus was first identified in Yambuku, in the Equateur province.

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