An Ebola outbreak has intensified across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with over 1,100 suspected cases currently under investigation.
Africa Centres for Disease Control Director General Jean Kaseya confirmed 263 cases and 43 deaths in a recent Financial Times commentary.
The viral surge represents a serious test for regional health infrastructure, which previously reported 246 suspected fatalities from the disease.
Health ministers from the affected nations and South Sudan have adopted a 319-million-dollar response plan to combat the spreading epidemic.
Kaseya criticized Africa’s heavy reliance on external financial aid, urging continental leaders to match the rapid speed of the virus.
The highly contagious pathogen belongs to the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists on the market.
Medical teams must rely entirely on strict preventative isolation and contact tracing protocols to contain the expanding geographic footprint.
First declared on May 15 in the Ituri province, the outbreak has quickly compromised three separate Congolese provinces and reached Uganda.
The World Health Organization recently triggered an international health alert, warning that the official numbers likely underestimate the true crisis.
WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the epicenter in Ituri this Sunday to pledge direct international solidarity and medical support.
