GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization says Ebola transmission is declining in some of the hardest-hit areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The improvement is most visible in parts of Ituri province, the main center of the outbreak. However, the epidemic continues to expand in other areas. Official data through Sept. 13 showed 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces, with the national case fatality ratio at 48.4%.
DR Congo’s Ebola response continues as health teams track changing transmission patterns. (AI-generated image)
South Kivu has recorded no new cases since May, while more patients are recovering nationwide. Official figures showed 1,726 recoveries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Sept. 13. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the latest trends provided encouraging signs after months of rapid transmission. He also stressed that the epidemic continues to grow and cause deaths. The outbreak now covers 62 health zones, highlighting sharp differences between affected provinces.
Ituri remains the outbreak’s main center despite the recent decline in transmission. Around 300 new cases and 160 deaths occurred there during the latest weekly period cited by health officials. Those cases represented nearly half of the national total for that period. North Kivu is moving in the opposite direction. Weekly infections there nearly doubled over two weeks, rising from about 100 cases to more than 200 as health teams tracked expanding transmission.
North Kivu cases rise as Ituri transmission declines
The current epidemic involves Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola that has spread across a wide geographic area since May. Ituri accounts for most cumulative cases, while North Kivu has become the second most affected province. Haut-Uélé also continues to record transmission. The outbreak recently reached Sud-Ubangi, bringing the number of affected provinces to seven. That expansion followed months in which health authorities documented new cases across northeastern and central parts of the country.
Clinical research forms part of the response as health teams work across affected communities. Trials involving treatments and post-exposure prophylaxis have increased as community participation has improved. The response also includes surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing, isolation and clinical care. Health officials continue to monitor infection patterns because transmission varies substantially between provinces and health zones. The uneven picture means declining case numbers in one area can occur alongside rapid growth elsewhere in the country.
Response continues across affected health zones
The response involves national health authorities, WHO, Africa CDC and hundreds of partner organizations working with frontline medical teams. Insecurity and population displacement continue to complicate access in several affected areas. Those conditions can restrict surveillance, contact tracing and timely access to medical care. Mining communities, informal settlements and displacement sites also present operational challenges because some locations have limited health services, sanitation and infrastructure. Response teams continue to operate across urban centers and remote communities.
The latest figures show measurable progress in several locations but continued heavy transmission across the Democratic Republic of the Congo. South Kivu has remained without new cases for months, while Ituri has recorded lower transmission from previously high levels. North Kivu, meanwhile, continues to report a sharp increase in weekly infections. Health authorities are tracking each affected area separately because the epidemic follows different patterns across the country. More than 3,500 confirmed deaths underscore the continuing scale of the outbreak.