Tengrinews.kz — The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has claimed more than 1,000 lives, according to Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, citing the Euronews.
"Today, the death toll has reached 1,031. People are dying... They are dying because we lack vaccines, medicine, and funding," Kaseya stated.
According to the latest data from the country's Ministry of Health, 2,473 cases of Ebola have been recorded. At least 737 patients are currently in isolation or receiving treatment in hospitals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the current Ebola outbreak is the third largest in the history of the DRC.
The outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain began in the DRC and Uganda in mid-May. Almost immediately, the WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern.
Currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for this specific strain. Last week, the University of Oxford launched the world's first clinical trials for a Bundibugyo vaccine.
As previously reported, Kazakhstan is following WHO recommendations and does not plan to close its borders due to the Ebola outbreak. Kazakhstan has no direct flights to the countries where the outbreak was recorded. Consequently, the risk of the infection spreading among the population of Kazakhstan remains low.
However, experts emphasize that in an era of international mobility, the possibility of the disease being imported cannot be entirely ruled out. The National Center for Public Health advises Kazakhstani citizens against traveling to the DRC and Uganda.