The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, concluded on Monday (1) his visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is affected by an Ebola outbreak, informing the country’s President, Félix Tshisekedi, about the response to the disease at a time when a humanitarian organization has warned that the outbreak may be much larger than official figures indicate.
The outbreak, the third largest ever recorded, is believed to have gone undetected for weeks, according to health officials, who acknowledge delays in response efforts and difficulties in controlling the spread of the disease.
Upon arrival in Congo last week, Tedros Ghebreyesus called for greater international support to curb the spread of the virus before traveling to the province of Ituri, where the first cases were confirmed.
During his visit, he said he observed some encouraging signs, including five certified recoveries, but also stressed the need to strengthen testing and treatment capacity, as well as to build community trust in health workers.
“This Ebola outbreak can be stopped when the community takes the lead in the response and there is strong government leadership,” he said after meeting President Félix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa.
“We need to strengthen the capacity of health systems in the affected areas,” he added.
“When four out of every five contacts are not being traced, it becomes extremely difficult to contain the outbreak or even understand its true scale”
Rachel Howard – Senior Technical Adviser for Health Emergencies, IRC
In a joint statement released on Sunday night, the WHO and the Congolese government acknowledged that they are going through a “difficult period,” with health workers struggling to detect and isolate cases, trace contacts, and ensure safe burials.
On Friday, the WHO reported that there were 906 suspected Ebola cases in the Congo, including 223 suspected deaths under investigation. Meanwhile, the Congolese government announced on Sunday night that the number of confirmed cases had risen to 282, with 42 deaths, after 19 new positive tests were recorded.
Of the confirmed cases, 264 were recorded in the province of Ituri, 15 in North Kivu and three in South Kivu, according to data released by the Ministry of Communication. The three provinces have been affected by armed conflicts that have caused mass population displacement, further complicating efforts to respond to the outbreak.
An attack carried out over the weekend by fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group linked to the Islamic State, resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians and one soldier in the city of Beni, in North Kivu province, the government reported on Monday.
Ebola cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda. Meanwhile, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the outbreak could be significantly larger and more advanced than official figures suggest.
“This Ebola outbreak can be stopped when the community takes the lead in the response and there is strong government leadership”
Tedros Ghebreyesus – WHO
According to the organization, the virus may have been spreading for up to three months before the first official cases were detected in mid-May. With only 20% of contacts currently being traced, health authorities are struggling to identify and isolate new chains of transmission.
“When four out of every five contacts are not being traced, it becomes extremely difficult to contain the outbreak or even understand its true scale,” said Rachel Howard, senior technical adviser for health emergencies at the IRC.
Although Congolese authorities have extensive experience in fighting Ebola, they have limited experience with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for the current outbreak, for which no approved vaccine currently exists.
The international health organization CEPI will provide about $60 million to three entities to accelerate the development of vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
The organization told Reuters that it may be possible to have vaccines ready for clinical trials within a few months. China also announced on Monday that it will send a team of medical experts to the Congo to support efforts to combat the outbreak.
