Ebola responders grapple with widening outbreak in DR Congo

The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground. Key points7,200 Ebola cases and nearly 3,500 deaths reportedOutbreak spreading across an area covering two time zonesInsecurity, poor roads and funding gaps are hampering responseWeekly cases are doubling in parts of North Kivu“If we don’t have the resources, the epidemic will come back…it remains a deadly and massive epidemic,” stressed Julien Harneis, UN Special Ebola Coordinator.Latest data from 12 September indicates 7,200 reported cases of Ebola and close to 3,500 deaths across 62 health zones, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). The virus is now present in seven provinces “covering a very vast geographic area”, said Dr Olivier le Polain, Unit Head for Epidemiology and Analytics for Response at WHO. “Although the response has been unprecedented in its scale, the epidemic continues to expand.”In partnership with the authorities, UN agencies and partners have been assisting in tackling the Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak since the...