The Congo authorities have downgraded the alarm linked to the epidemic in the Panzi area. The Congolese Ministry of Health confirmed that the epidemic, active for over 40 days, has caused 27 confirmed deaths out of 382 cases in health facilities. A further 44 unverified deaths were recorded in neighboring villages, bringing the estimated total to around 70 victims, many of which were attributable to a lack of adequate care. The mortality rate is around 8%, and the disease appears to be limited to a remote and sparsely populated area.
Access to the region is complicated due to the rainy season and limited infrastructure. The journey from the capital Kinshasa to Kwango district takes 12-24 hours by vehicle, and there is no direct road between Kenge, the regional capital, and Panzi. The situation is aggravated by the conflict between the Yaka-Teke militias, which further hinders the arrival of health teams from the capital with the necessary equipment.