Ebola: Sharp jump in cases in North Kivu while outbreak slows in Ituri

Amid signs of improvement in the devastating Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, cases are surging in North Kivu province, the site of the 2018-2020 outbreak that killed thousands.

Cases fell 26% this month in Ituri province, which has until now been the epicenter of the outbreak.

But North Kivu, which neighbors Ituri, saw a worrying 73% increase over that same period.

The Mabalako General Hospital serves as the only point of treatment for those infected with Ebola in the rural community which it serves.

Last week, the World Health Organization visited the hospital in an effort to strengthen its capacity to respond.

"We are facing some issues. Almost all our treatment centers are completely full,” said Guy Mutombo, the operations officer for North Kivu’s Ebola response.

“The proposal is for each health zone to have an isolation center, or (Ebola) treatment centers, so that all incoming cases can be cared for," he said.

Ebola cases are widespread in North Kivu, not only in major cities like Beni but in rural villages.