Congo: The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has exceeded 5,000, according to government data released, as health authorities continue to struggle to contain the country’s deadliest outbreak of the virus on record.
More than 10,000 people have been infected since the outbreak was declared in May, raising concerns over the rapid spread of the disease and the challenges facing healthcare systems across the affected regions. The ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
Delayed detection, armed conflict and overstretched healthcare services have contributed to the rapid spread of infections, with the virus reaching eight of the DRC’s 26 provinces. The outbreak has also crossed national borders, with Kenya and Uganda reporting cases. Nigeria became the fourth African country to report an Ebola case last week, marking a further expansion of the outbreak into West Africa.
The current outbreak is the second-largest Ebola epidemic on record, surpassed only by the 2014–2016 epidemic in West Africa, which infected more than 28,600 people and claimed over 11,000 lives across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Several governments have introduced travel restrictions and quarantine measures to limit the international spread of the virus.
Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of travel to and entry from Kenya, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The restrictions include suspending travel by Saudi citizens to Kenya and halting the issuance of all visa categories to travellers from the country. Saudi authorities have also prohibited entry for travellers arriving from Kenya, including those transiting through third countries who have stayed in Kenya or other Ebola-affected countries within the preceding 21 days.
In June, Saudi Arabia had already suspended travel to and entry from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan as part of measures to reduce the risk of importing Ebola cases. The expanding outbreak continues to pose a significant public health challenge, with international authorities and affected governments facing growing pressure to strengthen surveillance, improve early detection and prevent further cross-border transmission.
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