The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 956, with 247 people having died

The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has stated that the cumulative number of confirmed cases of the Ebola epidemic has reached 956, among which 247 are fatal cases.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the local health department released a report on Saturday (June 20th), stating that a total of 92 patients have been cured so far, and another 361 patients are in isolation or hospitalized.

The report indicates that there were 162 suspected cases reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among which 47 people have died. The relevant investigation is still ongoing. The current contact tracing rate is 69.3%, which is lower than the 95% target set by the health authorities.

The report also points out that the current prevention and control efforts are facing multiple challenges, including community resistance to collecting samples from death cases, the strained reception capacity of the Ebola treatment center in the "epidemic epicenter" of Ituri Province, insufficient contact tracing, shortage of medical supplies, unstable security situation and high population mobility.

The Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kamba, said on Friday (19th) that the current epidemic is still in the "rising stage". As the prevention and control personnel go deep into communities and actively search for cases, the number of confirmed cases is expected to continue to increase.

He said that only when the weekly number of cases starts to stabilize or decline can it be determined whether the epidemic has reached its peak, entered a plateau phase, or begun to decline. Currently, prevention and control efforts such as case detection, isolation treatment, and community mobilization are still ongoing.