The last Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been discharged from a treatment centre in Kasai Province. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this marks a significant milestone in the fight against the outbreak that began in September 2023. The patient is the 19th to recover out of 64 total recorded cases since the outbreak was declared.
The WHO announced that if no new cases are identified in the next 42 days, the outbreak will be officially declared over. Mohamed Janabi, the WHO’s Director for Africa, described this recovery as a “remarkable achievement,” especially considering the outbreak was confirmed just six weeks ago. He stated, “The country’s robust response, with support from WHO and partners, was pivotal to this achievement,” highlighting the collaborative efforts that led to this success.
Celebratory scenes unfolded as health workers welcomed the final patient’s exit from the treatment centre in Bulape. The current outbreak, the DRC’s 16th to date, was declared on September 4, 2023, following the emergence of cases in the Bulape and Mweka areas of the southwest region. Since the declaration, the WHO has confirmed 53 cases and identified 11 probable cases, with symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and haemorrhaging. Unfortunately, 45 individuals have died from the virus during this outbreak.
Health officials noted that the remote location of Kasai Province posed challenges in reaching affected areas, which may have inadvertently helped contain the virus’s spread. In response, the WHO deployed teams and established a 32-bed treatment centre in the region for the first time outside of a simulation exercise. Vaccination efforts have also been extensive, with more than 35,000 people in the Bulape area receiving immunisations.
As of now, no new cases have been reported since September 25, 2023. Ebola, first identified in 1976 following an outbreak in what is now the DRC, remains a serious threat to public health. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease can be fatal in up to 90 percent of untreated cases. The largest outbreak occurred between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa, infecting 28,600 people and resulting in 11,325 deaths, with cases spreading to Europe and the United States.
The most recent outbreak in the DRC prior to this one occurred in 2022 and involved only one recorded case. The swift response and successful treatment of the last patient in Kasai Province signal hope for the region as it continues to battle against Ebola.
