Browsing: Health

The World Health Organization says Ebola transmission is declining in some of the hardest-hit areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The improvement is most visible in parts of Ituri province, the main center of the outbreak. However, the epidemic continues to expand in other areas. Official data through Sept. 13 showed 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces, with the national case fatality ratio at 48.4%.

South Kivu has recorded no new cases since May, while more patients are recovering nationwide. Official figures showed 1,726 recoveries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Sept. 13. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the latest trends provided encouraging signs after months of rapid transmission. He also stressed that the epidemic continues to grow and cause deaths. The outbreak now covers 62 health zones, highlighting sharp differences between affected provinces.

City health officials ordered all 10 cooling towers with positive preliminary PCR results to undergo complete cleaning and disinfection. The New York City Health Department required the work to be finished by Sept. 14. Health Commissioner Alister Martin later said each tower with a concerning result had undergone remediation. The Yankees said the stadium cooling tower was drained, cleaned and disinfected on Sept. 13 after the city notified the organization about the preliminary finding.

The World Health Organization has urged a wider Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as transmission continues across several provinces. Congo had recorded 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths by Sept. 1, according to the latest government figures. The outbreak has affected 60 health zones in six provinces. Authorities have also recorded 1,439 recoveries, while the case fatality rate stands at 48.6%.

Health Minister Roger Kamba confirmed that the government initiated the immunization campaign utilizing doses of the Ervebo vaccine to safeguard frontline personnel operating across impacted eastern provinces.

The European Commission has expanded its Ebola response with a €2.1 million purchase of PCR tests for the Bundibugyo virus outbreak. The agreement covers open-platform tests that laboratories can use with existing systems. Shipments are due to start in August as health teams confront a large outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and affecting parts of the wider region. The World Health Organization will receive the tests through its Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics in Dubai. PCR testing allows laboratories to confirm infections and support surveillance around known cases.

Australian researchers from Adelaide University and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute have identified a novel molecular switch that drives the spread of aggressive tumors. Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the breakthrough study reveals that Australian researchers uncover a promising new way to tackle triple-negative breast cancer by restoring a critical regulatory molecule known as miR-342. The discovery opens new avenues to prevent life-threatening secondary cancers in organs such as the lungs and bones. Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10% to 15% of Australia’s approximately 21,000 annual breast cancer diagnoses but causes a disproportionate number of deaths. Lead investigators demonstrated that when miR-342 levels fall, a cancer-driving pathway called E2F becomes overactive, allowing dormant cancer cells to spread throughout the body and form dangerous secondary tumors.

The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision approved the release after the government requested doses from the global Ebola stockpile. WHO said 20,000 doses will support a Phase 3 clinical trial focused on Bundibugyo virus disease. The other 50,000 doses will go to frontline and health workers under current vaccination recommendations. WHO and Africa CDC welcomed the allocation, which officials announced on Aug. 20.

WHO incident manager Thierno Baldé said the three-month timeline depends on securing the resources required for the response. The agency has received about $69.3 million of the $115 million it says it needs, or roughly 60%. Teams added more than 400 treatment beds during the past two weeks. They also deployed 100 additional epidemiologists and more than 500 community health workers for surveillance and contact tracing. The response requires vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies and personnel across a growing affected area. Transmission has reached Bas-Uélé, making it the sixth affected province. As of Aug. 12, Ituri accounted for 85% of confirmed cases and 79% of reported deaths nationwide. Officials said 70% to 80% of new cases had no known link to existing patients. Health teams are expanding surveillance to identify cases faster and transfer patients into treatment centers. Bas-Uélé’s first confirmed case had traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms began on Aug. 4.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 26,064,143 malaria cases in 2025. The country also reported 29,938 deaths linked to the disease during the year. Guy Esebe Dembo, deputy director of the National Malaria Control Programme, announced the figures during a campaign launch in Ituri province. Dembo said malaria remains the country’s main public health challenge. The new totals confirm a heavy disease burden across one of Africa’s most malaria-affected countries.

DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed 1,916 people and produced 4,209 confirmed cases, according to official data through Aug. 7. Ituri remains the center of the epidemic, with 3,636 confirmed cases and 1,551 deaths. North Kivu has recorded 470 cases and 315 deaths. Haut Uele has reported 91 cases and 44 deaths, while Tshopo has nine cases and five deaths. South Kivu has recorded three cases and one death. Overall, the outbreak has reached 53 of 140 health zones across the five affected provinces.