The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surged, with the death toll surpassing 1,700 as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that trials for experimental treatments, preventive measures, and vaccines are progressing quickly.
This outbreak, linked to the uncommon Bundibugyo strain, has resulted in 1,707 fatalities from 3,802 confirmed cases since its declaration on May 15, as per the latest figures from the government. The WHO indicates that over 17,000 contacts are under surveillance, with approximately 80 percent receiving daily follow-ups.
Currently, this epidemic is the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded and is growing at an unprecedented rate. Unlike earlier outbreaks caused by different strains, effective vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo variant do not exist.
During a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday, Vasee Moorthy, who oversees the WHO’s R&D Blueprint program, noted that prior planning enabled researchers to commence trials much sooner compared to past outbreaks.
“When you look at this outbreak and contrast it with previous ones, we’ve managed to initiate trials more promptly,” he commented, adding that the preclinical data appears promising. However, he emphasized that the efficacy of these experimental treatments and vaccines will ultimately depend on clinical trials.
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is set to visit the Congolese capital of Kinshasa on Tuesday before heading to Bunia, which lies near the outbreak’s epicenter.
Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who also visited Bunia on Tuesday, mentioned that predicting when the outbreak might peak remains uncertain.
This outbreak is largely situated in the eastern province of Ituri, responsible for nearly 90 percent of the reported cases. Still, infections have appeared in five other provinces, including Kisangani, the region’s major city.
Since the start of the outbreak, over 100 healthcare workers have contracted the virus. Health officials have identified several challenges impeding response efforts, including delays in contact tracing, violence from armed groups, assaults on healthcare facilities, and a prevalent mistrust of health authorities. Additionally, dwindling aid funding has created a notable financial gap in the response efforts.
The strain on the health system has led to unrest among healthcare workers. In the heavily affected town of Mongbwalu, staff threatened to escalate industrial action if unpaid wages weren’t addressed within 24 hours. Similar strikes had previously occurred in Bunia due to unpaid salaries and unsafe working conditions.
This outbreak has propagated more swiftly than any prior Ebola crisis. For example, during the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which infected around 28,000 people and resulted in over 11,000 deaths, it took about eight months for the death toll to reach 1,000.
In contrast, Uganda declared itself free of Ebola in mid-June, following the discharge of its last patient from the hospital.
