Unknown disease in Congo: Experts warn of dramatic situation!

Unknown disease in Congo: Experts warn of dramatic situation!

The health crisis is causing alarming waves in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo: the number of people infected with the disease known as “Disease X” has risen to 394. This was reported by the Health Crisis Center, which also points out the worrying situation in the affected Panzi region. While the first cases of the disease occurred on October 24th, the national health authority was not alerted until December 1st. For health teams trying to contain the epidemic, the situation is extremely difficult due to logistical challenges in the difficult-to-reach region. There are currently only two epidemiologists on site and there is a lack of emergency medication and an early warning system oe24.at reported.

Unclear death toll

The mortality of the disease is also unclear. While the health authorities in Kwango province reported more than 130 deaths, the crisis center reported only 30 deaths. This leads to confusion because one count only includes patients who died in health centers, while another also counts those who died at home without medical treatment. To quickly clarify the origin of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed expert teams to assist, and initial laboratory results from patient samples are expected this weekend. Health Minister Roger Kamba said authorities were on high alert to protect the population as quickly as possible, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

In this context, it is also important to keep an eye on current hospital statistics. Since the primary diagnosis is recorded according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the management of emerging epidemics is crucial. The continuous improvement of documentation in hospitals, as determined by the Federal Statistical Office, is of great importance here. This quality assurance is particularly relevant to be able to more effectively access and evaluate the epidemiological data on the spread of diseases such as “Disease Springer is made clear.