Browsing: Health

WHO maps three-month path for Congo Ebola containment

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.

DRC malaria cases surpass 26 million in 2025

The National Malaria Control Programme released the figures as health authorities expanded malaria response activities in Ituri. Dembo said control efforts must continue while authorities strengthen interventions that have already shown results. He also called for approaches suited to conditions in individual health zones. The Ituri initiative centers on mass administration of antimalarial medicines. Authorities launched the campaign as part of wider malaria prevention and treatment efforts. The programme coordinates national measures aimed at reducing infections, severe illness and malaria-related deaths.

DR Congo Ebola death toll tops 1,900 as cases rise

DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed 1,916 people and produced 4,209 confirmed cases, according to official data through Aug. 7. That raises the death toll 29 above the 1,887 figure reported in the earlier update. Health authorities also counted 595 patients receiving care in isolation. Another 828 people have recovered from the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.

Obesity linked to 8.2% of Belgium deaths in new health report

Obesity was linked to 9,509 deaths in Belgium during 2022, representing 8.2 percent of total national mortality, according to new data from the Belgian public health institute Sciensano. Marking the first time public health researchers in the country have systematically quantified mortality directly attributable to an elevated body mass index (BMI), the report reveals that weight-related complications caused more than one death per hour nationwide. The statistical findings also show that high BMI resulted in over 150,000 lost years of life across all demographic groups in a single year.

Moderna begins Ebola vaccine trial amid DR Congo outbreak

The study will operate at three Canadian sites and enroll about 80 healthy adults. Researchers will assess the vaccine’s safety, tolerability and ability to produce an immune response. The trial will not determine whether the vaccine prevents infection because Phase 1 studies focus on early safety data. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has committed up to $50 million for preclinical work, the trial and production of additional research doses.

Michigan reports first deaths tied to cyclospora outbreak

Michigan health officials have confirmed two deaths connected to the state’s 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 11,234 cases as of Aug. 3. The state also recorded 193 hospitalizations through July 30. Both patients had serious underlying medical conditions. Officials said cyclosporiasis and dehydration may have affected those conditions, but they released no additional personal information.

DR Congo Ebola outbreak reaches record scale

The surge placed further pressure on surveillance, treatment and community response operations. Cases now span 49 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo. Thirty-three zones reported active transmission during the latest seven-day period. They registered 641 cases and 282 deaths. Ituri remained the outbreak’s center, with 3,176 infections, or 88% of the national total. Conflict, displacement and regular population movement continue to hinder disease control work. Response teams also face damaged facilities, staffing shortages and restricted access to some communities. Contact tracing falls short of needs.