Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in History of Democratic Republic of Congo
12 sources across 11 countries
Who reported this
- Le Monde
- France 24
- Infobae
- Folha de S.Paulo
- Deutsche Welle
- Telex
- Asahi Shimbun
- NRC
- Aftenposten
- Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Bangkok Post
- The Guardian
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country's history. Government data released on Monday shows that 2,325 people have died and 4,945 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak was declared on May 15. This toll surpasses the 2018 to 2020 outbreak, which resulted in 2,299 deaths. The United Nations has described the current epidemic as the fastest growing on record, with humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stating that one person is dying every 30 minutes.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for this specific strain, although some are undergoing trials. The epidemic began in Ituri province and has spread to five other provinces. The case fatality ratio has risen from approximately 20 percent in early June to 46 percent. Experts suggest this increase is not due to the virus becoming more lethal, but rather to deficiencies in surveillance, late detection, and limited access to care.
Containment efforts face significant challenges. These include fragile state presence, poor health infrastructure, and instability caused by armed conflict in the east. Some community members have expressed distrust of treatment centers, leading to many deaths occurring within the community rather than in hospitals. Additionally, some reports cite strikes by unpaid health workers and the spread of misinformation as barriers to the response. Neighboring Uganda recorded 20 cases and two deaths but was declared Ebola free in late July.
International responses have varied. The World Health Organization expressed hope to reverse the trend within three months, though some reports note that only about half of the required funding for the response plan has been mobilized. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in conflict zones to allow health workers safe access to affected communities.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the speed of the spread and provided critical analysis of the global political failures and lack of international coordination.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the record breaking statistics and the logistical failures of the health infrastructure.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the diplomatic calls for ceasefires and the broader economic implications for the region.
Sources
- Centre-right Aftenposten: Every half hour a human dies of ebola in Kongo
- Centre-left Asahi Shimbun: DR Congo Ebola deaths reach record high, WHO says infection chains are not tracked
- Centre Bangkok Post: Ebola outbreak now DR Congo's deadliest ever
- Centre Deutsche Welle: DRC Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in country's history
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the deadliest in the country's history
- Centre France 24: Ebola in DR Congo: the epidemic becomes the deadliest in the country's history
- Centre France 24: Ebola epidemic becomes the deadliest in the history of the DR Congo
- Centre-right Infobae: Ramaphosa asks for a humanitarian ceasefire in the DR Congo facing the advance of Ebola
- Centre-left Le Monde: Ebola in DRC: the epidemic becomes the deadliest in the country's history in only three months
- Centre NRC: Ebola outbreak in Congo is the deadliest ever in the country and the fastest growing in world history
- Centre Philippine Daily Inquirer: Congo’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak becomes nation’s worst; over 2,300 dead
- Centre Telex: The most severe Ebola epidemic in the country's history is ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Centre-left The Guardian: What is Ebola and why is the outbreak in DRC causing so much concern?
- Centre-left The Guardian: As Ebola kills thousands in DRC, a perfect storm is making the virus hard to stop | Devi Sridhar
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.