Ebola spread in DR Congo 'alarming', charity warns, as WHO chief visits worst-hit area
Key takeaways
- Emery Makumeno,BBC Africa in Bunia, eastern DR Congoand Jaroslav Lukiv Anadolu via Getty Images DR Congo is the epicentre of the outbreak though a few cases have been detected in Uganda.
- Speaking two weeks on from the outbreak being declared, MSF Deputy Director Dr Alan Gonzales said never before had "so many cases" been recorded so soon.
- There are now more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases in the DR Congo, and at least 246 deaths.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Emery Makumeno,BBC Africa in Bunia, eastern DR Congoand Jaroslav Lukiv Anadolu via Getty Images DR Congo is the epicentre of the outbreak though a few cases have been detected in Uganda. The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned.
Speaking two weeks on from the outbreak being declared, MSF Deputy Director Dr Alan Gonzales said never before had "so many cases" been recorded so soon.
His comments came as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in the eastern Congolese province of Ituri - the worst-hit area - to oversee virus containment efforts.