UN WARNS EBOLA OUTBREAK IN DRC IS SPREADING FASTER THAN RESPONSE

The United Nations has warned that the global response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, must urgently move faster as the death toll approaches 3,000.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher gave the warning on Monday, saying the virus was spreading faster than containment efforts despite increased response by humanitarian agencies and Congolese authorities.

DRC authorities reported more than 6,100 confirmed cases and 2,950 deaths as of Monday, with over 5,000 infections recorded in Ituri Province alone.

Fletcher said Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials, making early detection and isolation crucial to stopping transmission.

He called for sustained political commitment, unrestricted humanitarian access and increased international funding to contain the outbreak.

The current outbreak, declared in DRC on May 15, is reportedly spreading at a much faster rate than the deadly 2014 to 2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.