Ebola death toll exceeds 5,000 in DR Congo

More than 5,000 people have died in an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), according to figures from the country’s health ministry.
The ministry reported more than 10,300 confirmed cases across eight of the country’s 26 provinces, with a fatality rate of 48.6 per cent.
The outbreak began in May, with Ituri Province in the conflict-affected northeast remaining its epicentre.
Insecurity in the region has made efforts to contain the epidemic more difficult.