BUNIA, Democratic Republic of the Congo: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) visited the epicentre of a deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Saturday as confirmed cases nearly doubled within two days.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, where health authorities are battling what aid organisations describe as one of the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreaks on record.
According to Congolese authorities, the number of confirmed Ebola cases rose to 225 on Friday from 121 reported two days earlier.
“The international community is involved under the leadership of the government of DRC, and at the same time, community ownership is important,” Tedros told reporters in Bunia.
He said local communities understood the challenges posed by the outbreak and were key to identifying solutions.
Rare Ebola strain drives outbreak
Health authorities say the outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare and severe strain of Ebola for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The WHO has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, its highest level of alert.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has described the epidemic as one of the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreaks ever recorded.
Congolese authorities have also reported 1,028 suspected cases and more than 220 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak.
The disease has spread beyond the DRC’s borders into neighbouring Uganda, where authorities have recorded nine confirmed cases and one death.
Ebola was first identified in the region in 1976. The current epidemic is the DRC’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak.
Nobody knows true scale of outbreak
MSF warned that the true scale of the outbreak remains unclear.
“Nobody knows the true scale and severity of this outbreak,” the organisation said, adding that the response had failed to keep pace with the spread of infections.
The WHO has cautioned that the fatality rate could reach between 30 and 50 per cent, similar to previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, although the death rate among confirmed cases so far has remained lower.
The DRC’s health ministry had expanded testing, contact tracing and surveillance efforts, leading to the identification of cases that might otherwise have gone undetected.
As the outbreak worsens, international assistance has begun to arrive.
The European Union has delivered medical supplies to Ituri province, while the United States has pledged more than $112 million to support response efforts.
However, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said global funding for the outbreak response had fallen sharply, declining from $498 million to $219 million.
Health officials reported the outbreak’s first confirmed recovery this week.
The WHO said it was working with authorities in both the DRC and Uganda to assess experimental treatments and a candidate vaccine.
Before travelling to Bunia, Tedros met DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka in Kinshasa.
He expressed confidence that the country could bring the outbreak under control, noting its extensive experience in combating previous Ebola epidemics.
Regional alert and border measures
Neighbouring countries have taken steps to prevent further spread of the virus.
Uganda and Rwanda have closed their borders with the DRC, while the United States has imposed restrictions on most travellers who have recently visited the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan.
The WHO has advised against such measures.
Tedros said border closures were ineffective and could discourage countries from reporting outbreaks openly.
Meanwhile, health ministers from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-member East African bloc, agreed this week to redirect approximately $7 million towards regional prevention and preparedness efforts.
