Ebola outbreak in Congo is still serious, African health body says

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still serious, with data ​indicating gaps in infection prevention and control, ‌Africa's top public health agency said on Thursday.

• On Saturday, Congo Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said there were "encouraging signs" ​in the fight against Ebola since "the peak ​reached in mid-August", and that transmission "has been gradually ⁠slowing down".
• While data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed a slight decrease in cases over the previous two weeks, Director-General Jean Kaseya said the outbreak was not yet under control.
• "The data could not ​confirm that the peak of the outbreak has ​been reached, and the transmission is not yet consistently controlled ‌across ⁠all affected areas," Africa CDC's Emergency Consultative Group said.
• However, Kaseya praised a slight drop in infections in the eastern Ituri province.
• He said comments from Congo's health officials were based on incomplete data and that they would need to see a sustained decline in cases before saying the peak had passed.
• "We ⁠are still committed to support the government, and I want to congratulate for the progress made so ⁠far. ​We saw a decrease in ​some areas, but we say the situation is still serious," Kaseya ​told reporters.

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