DR Congo Ebola outbreak death toll tops 3,700

More than 130 days after the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed its latest Ebola outbreak, health officials reported on Wednesday that intensified response measures are beginning to yield measurable results. The World Health Organization and the DRC Ministry of Health said that the deployment of additional treatment units, expanded contact‑tracing teams, and a broader vaccination campaign have collectively raised the capacity of the emergency operation, prompting what they described as “the first encouraging signs of progress.”

The expanded effort includes the establishment of three new Ebola treatment centers, the training of over 1,200 health workers in infection‑prevention protocols, and the administration of the rVSV‑ZEBOV vaccine to more than 10,000 contacts and frontline staff. Surveillance data released this week show a decline in new confirmed cases, with the weekly average dropping from 12 cases in the first month to four cases over the past two weeks. Authorities emphasized that while the downward trend is positive, continued vigilance, community engagement, and rapid response capacity remain essential to contain the outbreak fully.