Ebola epidemic slowing down, but still spreading, UN says

United Nations officials said Tuesday that measures to contain the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo were starting to make progress, but warned that the epidemic is still widespread and could take several months to control.

Julien Harneis, the UN’s special Ebola coordinator, said at a press briefing in Geneva that most people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo supported the response efforts, but a small group, mainly young men, had been attacking healthcare workers and other responders. Some progress had been made in Ituri and Bunia, where authorities had gained control of certain areas. However, the situation in North Kivu was worsening, with the number of Ebola cases continuing to rise.

The World Health Organization's Olivier le Polain said the epidemic remains intense and geographically widespread. He said that it will likely take many months to get the epidemic under control.

On Saturday, Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said there were encouraging signs that the transmission has been gradually slowing since the peak in mid-August according to Reuters. But he said they cannot lower their guard and must continue fighting the virus.