The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could become deadlier than the record-setting 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which claimed over 11,000 lives, according to the head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). As of Tuesday, the DRC has recorded 837 confirmed cases, including 196 deaths.
Untraced Contacts Pose Major Risk
Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, stated that if the outbreak is not halted soon, it could surpass the severity of previous major epidemics in West Africa and eastern DRC. Kaseya highlighted a critical concern: tens of thousands of individuals potentially exposed to Ebola have not yet been traced or contacted. “The contact tracing is a major indicator and a major issue. We are missing more than 26,000 people, and we don’t know where they are, and we don’t know if they are contaminating other people,” he said during a virtual meeting with African leaders and international donors.
A Red Cross official indicated that the epidemic has not yet reached its peak and expressed concern that it could last for up to a year. Bruno Michon, operations manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, shared this fear, suggesting the disease might persist for that duration.
Challenges Hamper Response Efforts
The containment efforts have been impeded by several factors, including a scarcity of treatment centers and resistance from communities to implement stringent hygiene measures. Health officials noted that even more than a month after the outbreak was declared, its true extent remains unclear. A significant driver of transmission is unsafe traditional burial practices, where family members handle the bodies of Ebola victims, who are highly infectious after death, without adequate protective equipment.
Financially, the response is also facing shortfalls. The continent has raised less than a fifth of the $518 million it is seeking to bolster containment measures, according to Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who also chairs the African Union. This funding gap has raised alarms among authorities, who fear dire consequences if the virus is not brought under control swiftly.
Currently, there is no approved treatment or vaccine for this particular strain of Ebola. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that it could take up to nine months for a vaccine to become available. Meanwhile, neighboring Uganda has reported 19 Ebola cases, with 14 linked to travel from the DRC. The country has also recorded two deaths.
Steve Lopez is the Editorial Page Editor for News Raise. He covers Health. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards for his reporting and column writing at seven newspapers and four news magazines.
