As struggle against Covid continues, DR Congo announces end of Ebola outbreak
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have announced the end of the latest outbreak of Ebola that has claimed six lives out of 12 reported cases over the past three months. More than 750 Congolese have lost their lives in the coronavirus epidemic.
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The Ebola outbreak, the DRC's 12th since the disease was first identified in 1976, was rolled back thanks to a campaign to vaccinate hundreds of people, according to the new health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani.
The latest outbreak of the disease was first detected on 7 February in the eastern province of North Kivu, where a 22-month epidemic ended last June, leaving a death toll of 2,287, the worst in the DRC's history.
Mbungani urged the population to remain vigilant, and said surveillance teams will continue to work with the local health authorities to identify any further cases.
Ebola is a viral disease that can lead to internal bleeding and organ failure. The principal symptoms are fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. Ebola killed an estimated 11,000 people in West Africa between 2013 and 2016.
The DRC is also fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused nearly 30,000 cases locally, of which 768 have been fatal.
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