Five people who recovered from Ebola after treatment in Beni, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been discharged.
The survivors, who included a healthcare worker, had been hospitalised at the Doctors Without Borders Ebola treatment center and at the Ebola treatment center at Béni Hospital.
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As they received a certificate confirming they had been cured, the survivors expressed their thanks to the medical teams that had cared for them, and urged their compatriots to seek treatment if ill.
Health workers and officials leading the Ebola response celebrated the discharge, with the head of the response coalition saying it was a “momentous day” and a “source of pride” for his team.
But the number of Ebola cases continues to rise, as authorities announced that the outbreak in the African nation had surpassed 6,000 cases.
They also said that the outbreak — the fastest-growing in DRC history — had claimed 2,911 deaths.
More than 1,360 people have recovered from the virus, in what authorities called an “encouraging” development.
The outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements.
The World Health Organisation has said the out-of-control outbreak is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record.
That one killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Although the current outbreak was declared in mid-May, officials believe it had been spreading since February.
It has spread from three health zones to nearly 60, with most cases and deaths occurring outside the network of monitored contacts and within communities.
