By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to be in a humanitarian crisis–massive flooding in some areas affecting hundreds of thousands of people and leaving them without clean drinking water, armed clashes and violence in a number of areas around the country and of course, a plethora of infectious disease outbreaks.

Image/CDC

In 2019, we saw 369,520 measles cases and 6,779 deaths in DRC and the numbers, while decreasing in some areas, still remains high.

In week ending 17 May 2020, 1,375 measles cases including 34 deaths (CFR 2.5 %) were reported across the country, bringing the country total since the beginning of the year to nearly 60,000 cases and 783 deaths.

The provinces that reported majority of cases in the most recent week include: Tshopo (226 cases), Sankuru (206 cases), North-Ubangui (106 cases), North-Kivu (98 cases) and Mongala (82 cases). Over the past four weeks (weeks 17 to 20) a decreasing trend in the number of cases was observed in the provinces of: Bas-Uele, Haut Katanga, Ituri, Kasaï, Kinshasa, Kwango, Lomami, Lualaba, Maniema, North and South Ubangi, and Sankuru.

Measles of course is just one of many outbreaks ravaging the DRC. Two Ebola outbreaks–one going on two years and one brand new on different sides of the country have made some headlines.

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There is also malaria, acute respiratory infections, typhoid, COVID-19, cholera, meningitis, diarrhea with dehydration in children under the age of five years, influenza, monkey pox and yellow fever.