WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to put pressure on the country's healthcare system, with a shortage of medical workers affecting treatment centres.
The problem is particularly severe in North Kivu, where the number of cases rose 73% over three weeks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The situation is different in some other parts of the country. Ituri, where the outbreak began, recorded a 26% drop in cases between August 31 and September 20, while cases in Haut-Uele declined by 15%. However, Marie Roseline Belizaire, the WHO's regional emergency director for Africa, said the pattern of transmission differs from one area to another and that the outbreak remains uncontrolled.
Government figures show that Ebola has now reached seven provinces, with 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 deaths.
'While cases and deaths are declining in some provinces, they continue to rise in others,' Belizaire said. 'The outbreak is still not under control and remains spread across a wide geographic area.'
Several factors are making it harder to contain the virus. Ongoing insecurity, the displacement of communities, large movements of people and a strike by healthcare workers have all complicated the response.
The WHO has warned that the current outbreak could eventually overtake the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which remains the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.
Children are also among the groups facing the greatest risk. According to Belizaire, more than 60% of children under five who contract Ebola die from the disease, compared with about 40% of adults.
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