China dispatches second medical team to help tackle Ebola in DR Congo

Beijing (ANTARA) - The Chinese government has dispatched an additional team to assist in handling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “In the early hours of 3 July, the Chinese government’s second team of medical experts departed from Beijing for the DRC,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun during a press conference in Beijing on Friday (3/7). Ebola cases in the DR Congo have continued to rise to 1,460, including 447 deaths, based on data as of 2 July 2026 since the outbreak was declared on 15 May 2026. The first team from China arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, on 2 June 2026. “China immediately dispatched the first team of five medical experts to the DRC to provide services and guidance in handling Ebola when the outbreak occurred. The team’s work has received high praise from all parties,” Guo Jiakun added. The second team comprises experts in epidemiology, clinical treatment, and health quarantine. “Building on the work of the first team, this team will continue to strengthen exchanges with the DRC and international organisations and promote scientific and technological cooperation, taking into account local conditions and the needs of the DRC,” Guo Jiakun stated. As the Ebola outbreak continues to spread, Guo Jiakun said China will continue to provide assistance within its capacity to African countries and help Africa overcome the outbreak as quickly as possible. The outbreak is concentrated in 34 health zones across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. The ministry also reported that the 24th health zone, known as Lolwa in Ituri province, which is the epicentre of the outbreak, is now also affected by the spread of Ebola. To date, 595 patients are in isolation or receiving hospital treatment, while 213 patients have recovered. The contact tracing rate across the three affected provinces has reached 82.7 percent. Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jean Kaseya, warned on Thursday (2/7) that the ongoing outbreak remains very serious, as it has recorded a much faster increase in both cases and deaths compared to previous Ebola outbreaks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also announced that a clinical trial has begun recruiting patients in the DRC to evaluate potential treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease. According to the WHO, the trial will assess the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, both separately and in combination, to determine whether they can improve survival rates for patients diagnosed with Bundibugyo virus disease. Earlier this week, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi announced a $319 million (approximately Rp5.65 trillion) plan to tackle the Ebola outbreak. Meanwhile, donor countries and partners have pledged $910 million (approximately Rp16.11 trillion) to support the Ebola response in Congo and Uganda, where 20 cases have been confirmed.