100 days of Ebola and the race to stop the spread

A hundred days after the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak was declared, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing an epidemic of an unprecedented scale and efforts must grow to contain the spread in the eastern region and across borders, UN agencies warned on Monday.Key pointsThe World Health Organisation (WHO) reports an average of nearly 90 confirmed cases were recorded daily in during the first three months, a rate higher than the 2018-2020 outbreak in the DRCThe latest figures indicate 5,515 cases and 2,642 deaths, meaning the mortality rate is almost 48 per centThe outbreak now affects six provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicentre, accounting for around 85 per cent of cases and 79 per cent of deathsWHO is calling to scale up the response in the face of ongoing situation, compounded by ongoing clashes among armed groups in eastern DRC, conflict-related displacement and growing hunger.“We can bring the Ebola outbreak under control, but only through scaled-up action in affected communities,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.He also underlined the importance of a response led by national and local authorities, equipped with the necessary resources and supported by...