Victims Died Due to Ebola Outbreak in Congo Lampau 400 People

ILLUSTRATION DOK WHO

JAKARTA - The number of Ebola victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen above 400 after nearly 40 new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

The Ministry of Health said the number of confirmed cases had risen to 1,406, including 438 deaths with a mortality rate of 31.2 percent since the outbreak was announced on May 15.

The outbreak is concentrated in 34 health zones spread across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.

The ministry also said the 24th health zone known as Lolwa, Ituri province which was the epicenter of the outbreak, is now also affected by the spread of Ebola. So far, 192 people have recovered, while 609 patients are still in isolation or hospitalization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the death toll of reported cases in Congo is likely to be lower than the actual condition, because many deaths that occurred before the outbreak was announced are still under investigation.

Health authorities cite the unconducive security situation, population displacement, community rejection, and pressure on health facilities as factors that undermine the response to the Bundibugyo Ebola strain.

Reported by ANTARA, from Anadolu, Thursday, July 2, a few days ago, two people, including a police officer, were killed. Meanwhile, a treatment center was burned when violence erupted related to the body of a man believed to have died of Ebola in Ituri.

According to local media, another incident occurred in the Nia-Nia health zone in the Mambasa region, after some people refused to hand over the body of someone who was allegedly dead of Ebola to the team responsible for a decent and safe funeral.

Earlier this week, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi announced a plan to tackle the Ebola outbreak worth 319 million US dollars (around Rp5.65 trillion)

Meanwhile, donor countries and partners have pledged $910 million (around Rp16.11 trillion) to support the Ebola response in Congo and Uganda, where 20 cases have been confirmed, according to the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention.