A hundred days after the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak was declared, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing an epidemic of an unprecedented scale and efforts must grow to contain the spread in the eastern region and across borders, UN agencies warned on Monday.
Key points
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports an average of nearly 90 confirmed cases were recorded daily in during the first three months, a rate higher than the 2018-2020 outbreak in the DRC
- The latest figures indicate 5,515 cases and 2,642 deaths, meaning the mortality rate is almost 48 per cent
- The outbreak now affects six provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicentre, accounting for around 85 per cent of cases and 79 per cent of deaths
WHO is calling to scale up the response in the face of ongoing situation, compounded by ongoing clashes among armed groups in eastern DRC, conflict-related displacement and growing hunger.
"We can bring the Ebola outbreak under control, but only through scaled-up action in affected communities," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He also underlined the importance of a response led by national and local authorities, equipped with the necessary resources and supported by resolute partners.
'Extraordinary' progress
In 100 days, the response has grown considerably in scale and capacity, with a testing network expanded from a single site to 19 laboratories now capable of analysing more than 3,000 samples daily.
Treatment capacity has jumped from fewer than 10 beds to over 1,300, community engagement activities have reached more than 2.5 million people and contact tracing has climbed from nine per cent in the first week of the outbreak to 84 per cent as of 18 August.
Scientific efforts have also intensified, with clinical trials of potential treatments, the evaluation of vaccine candidates and the roll-out of the first molecular diagnostic test for the Bundibugyo virus.
WHO regional director for emergency response in Africa Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire told UN News "these are extraordinary advances," but not yet sufficient to end the epidemic or stop the transmission of the virus.
60% of deaths occur outside treatment centres
Insecurity, displacement, attacks on health facilities and difficulties in accessing care continue to hamper the response.
Mortality rate remains high, both in communities and amongst patients receiving care. Deaths occurring outside Ebola treatment centres accounted for around 60 per cent of the 260 weekly deaths recorded over the last six weeks.
This figure highlights the ongoing difficulties in detecting cases early, referring patients swiftly to healthcare facilities and ensuring they have access to treatment, according to WHO, which stressed that interventions must be more tailored to local transmission dynamics and operational gaps, missions in active transmission hotspots must be scaled up and high-risk areas need to be well prepared before cases emerge.
'People are hungry'
The Ebola epidemic is unfolding amid a wider humanitarian crisis, where communities face malnutrition and lack access to safe drinking water.
"People are hungry; they need access to food; they need water," underscored Dr Belizaire. "Humanitarian aid must also be provided alongside the Ebola response."
The challenge over the coming weeks is to stay one step ahead of the outbreak, she said, setting out five priorities:
- Strengthening the role of communities
- Stepping up surveillance and contact tracing to 95 per cent
- Speeding up access to care and expand capacity to 3,000 beds
- Improved protection for healthcare workers as 50 have died after 155 contracted the virus
- Strengthening cross-border preparedness
Cross-border efforts in South Sudan
While there are currently no Ebola cases in South Sudan, risks persist with continued population movements to and from DRC, said UN agencies.
UN agencies and partners are working prevention efforts, including surveillance, screening at points of entry, training health workers, providing medical supplies and raising awareness nationwide through radio and social media.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan Ramanathan Balakrishnan stressed the need to scale up protection for humanitarian personnel following the abduction of four aid workers by unidentified armed men in a southwestern region of South Sudan while transporting critical Ebola supplies to the border town of Libogo.
Meanwhile, WHO's regional director for Africa Dr. Mohamed Janabi issued a stark warning.
"Decisions we take today will determine how quickly we can bring this outbreak under control and save lives," he said.
What's the UN doing?
- WHO has deployed more than 260 experts, delivered over 330 tonnes of essential medical and logistical supplies and allocated $5.6 million to emergency operations
- The UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, supports infection prevention and control measures in health facilities, engages with communities to raise awareness of preventative measures and counter misinformation and provides screenings and referrals for pregnant women and survivors of gender-based violence
- The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing emergency assistance and medical evacuations through its UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)
