By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has banned public gatherings in four provinces, including the capital, Kinshasa, as authorities intensify efforts to contain a growing Ebola outbreak that has infected more than 1,300 people.
In an update released on Monday evening by Jacquemain Shabani, interior minister, the restriction comes as health officials confirmed 1,307 Ebola cases and 377 deaths linked to the country’s latest outbreak, which began in May.
Government authorities said the measure is aimed at limiting the spread of the highly contagious virus, which has already affected Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Reports also indicate that Ebola has now reached a fourth province, Haut-Uele, after an infected traveller reportedly carried the disease from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province.
Health officials are tracing contacts and investigating possible transmission routes following the death of the infected individual.
The spread to Haut-Uele means the outbreak now threatens the entire northeastern region of the country, home to an estimated 15 million people.
The government’s decision to prohibit public gatherings has, however, sparked political controversy.
The ban was announced ahead of a planned opposition protest in Kinshasa on July 8 against proposed constitutional reforms.
Opposition leaders have criticised the move, describing it as politically motivated rather than purely a public health measure.
Meanwhile, health workers continue to battle the outbreak under difficult conditions. Aid agencies say traditional burial practices, insecurity and public mistrust have complicated efforts to contain the virus.
Several treatment facilities have reportedly come under attack in recent weeks, while medical teams continue to face shortages of protective equipment, medicines, rapid testing kits and other essential supplies.
Authorities are urging residents to comply with health guidelines as the country works to prevent further infections and contain one of its most challenging Ebola outbreaks in recent years.
