Ebola Outbreak in DRC Raises Concerns
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) might be one of the most severe in history, according to Jean Kaseya, the Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC). He pointed out on Tuesday that many individuals who had contact with Ebola victims have not been traced or tested.
“If we don’t contain the outbreak promptly, it could worsen beyond what we experienced in West Africa and during previous outbreaks in eastern DRC,” Kaseya said. The 2014 West Africa epidemic resulted in over 11,000 deaths, while an outbreak in Congo in 2018 took about 2,300 lives.
As per the latest update from the DRC’s Ministry of Health, there are 782 confirmed cases and 181 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. This already surpasses the death toll from previous outbreaks in 2014 and 2018. A significant challenge lies in the political instability and the uncooperative nature of the local population, making it tough to diagnose and track cases effectively.
Health officials worry that the actual number of infections and fatalities could be much higher than reported, suggesting the outbreak might have started weeks or even months before the official declaration a month ago.
Moreover, uncooperative residents have become an issue, evidenced by a recent incident where armed individuals forcibly took a woman and her six-year-old daughter from a treatment facility. This underscores a broader trend, where some individuals in outbreak areas have resorted to force to take patients from hospitals due to distrust in medical practitioners, conduct their own funerals, or attribute the disease to witchcraft.
Dr. Lubambo Maboko Gaston, North Kivu’s Ebola response manager, expressed concern, saying, “We are still searching for two individuals we urgently need to reach out to. Returning to their community could put their health at severe risk and expose others.” The child taken by the gang had tested positive for Ebola, adding to the 67 confirmed cases in the province, with most instances found in neighboring Ituri province, where the outbreak is believed to have started.
According to a report by the Associated Press, many in eastern DRC are opting for “traditional healers” who employ herbs and prayers instead of seeking medical care, leading to “devastating consequences.” These traditional methods are not only ineffective against Ebola but also often involve group rituals that increase the risk of transmission.
Some individuals continue to view Ebola through a mystical lens, considering it a spiritual affliction rather than a medical one. “If people mistrust the healthcare system, they are likely to seek out traditional healers or those they already know,” noted emergency response specialist Oncefor Vangenza from Mercy Corps. This often results in patients arriving at medical facilities only when their condition has significantly worsened.
Vincent Isimbwa, a Seventh-day Adventist Elder, highlighted, “The perception of Ebola as a supernatural curse complicates the response efforts.” Ironically, some faith healers suggest that fear of Ebola leads people to their services, contributing to a cycle of mistrust regarding the medical community. Villagers often feel that if hospital treatments fail, they turn to local beliefs regarding bewitching as the root cause of their ailments.
An advisory from various advocacy groups has urged the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to collaborate with Africa CDC and WHO to make experimental treatments available for the outbreak. One such treatment, MBP134, developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical in San Diego, showed potential efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain.
Mapp researchers believe that MBP134 could be effective against all known strains of the Ebola virus. However, only a limited number of doses are available for high-risk individuals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified two promising vaccine development projects, one led by the AIDS Vaccine Initiative and another from the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India. Nonetheless, both vaccines still require several months of rigorous evaluation before they can enter clinical trials.
