KINSHASA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is showing early signs of decline, though funding gaps and logistical challenges continue to hamper response efforts, health officials said Thursday.
Patrick Abok, acting regional emergency director at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, told a virtual press briefing that nearly 30 days into the response, the number of new cases has begun to fall -- "a strong indication that our interventions have begun to take hold."
As of Wednesday, a total of 64 cases had been reported, including 42 deaths, while 12 patients have recovered and been discharged.
The Congolese government declared the outbreak on Sept. 4, marking the country's 16th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976.
So far, more than 8,000 frontline health workers, confirmed case contacts, and their contacts have been vaccinated. A new campaign aims to deliver 18,000 doses across 19 localities in Bulape to protect at-risk populations and curb the spread of the virus, the WHO Regional Office for Africa said in a statement Thursday.
While cases reported in the past three weeks suggest a downward trend, maintaining and scaling up control measures remain critical, the statement added.
Mory Keita, WHO Ebola incident manager, described the Kasai outbreak as "special," citing strong community engagement. "Unlike past outbreaks, we have not faced resistance. Village chiefs themselves are requesting vaccinations, which accelerates our interventions," he said.
However, only 21 percent of the 20 million U.S. dollars required for the response has been secured. The WHO and its partners have appealed for an additional 66 million dollars to strengthen preparedness in neighboring countries, Abok said.
The DRC last declared the end of an Ebola outbreak in September 2022, after confirming a case in the eastern province of North Kivu.
Ebola is a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that causes a range of symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain, and malaise, and in many cases, internal and external bleeding, according to the WHO.
