Ebola outbreak expands in DR Congo: UN

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to expand, with more than 5,200 cases and nearly 2,500 deaths recorded as of Aug. 18, the UN said Thursday.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that humanitarian agencies were warning of the continued spread of the outbreak as authorities and aid partners intensify their response.

“Our senior Ebola coordinator on the ground, Julian Harneis, said the government and our partners are scaling up response with five operational priorities, including tripling safe care capacity, strengthening community engagement, doubling the number of safe and dignified burial teams, and expanding disease surveillance and increasing support for the most vulnerable,” he said.

As part of the response, the Congolese government on Thursday launched the “Congo River Without Ebola” initiative with support from the UN and its partners.

“The initiative aims to strengthen disease surveillance and preparedness along the Congo River, a major route stretching more than 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) that connecting communities, markets and several provinces,” according to the UN.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also announced Thursday that 70,000 doses of the Ebola Zaire vaccine had been allocated to Congo.

The outbreak has affected 56 health zones across six provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele and Tshopo.