Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Ministry of Health (MoH), WHO and partners have continued to face challenges in the containment and control of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The number of reported cases increased during recent weeks, most notably from the Katwa health zone where response teams have faced pockets of community mistrust. The outbreak has also extended southwards to Kayina health zone, a high security risk area. Teams are working actively to build community trust and scale up response activities around these new clusters.

Figure 1 shows that as of 22 January 2019, there have been a total of 713 EVD cases¹ (664 confirmed and 49 probable), including 439 deaths (overall case fatality ratio: 62%). Thus far, 247 people have been discharged from Ebola Treatment Centres (ETCs), with many having enrolled in a dedicated program for monitoring and supporting survivors. Among cases with a reported age and sex, 59% (420/710) of cases were female, and 30% (214/708) were aged less than 18 years; including 108 infants and children under 5 years. Sixty-one healthcare workers have been infected to date.

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