The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could become larger than the 2014–2016 epidemic that devastated parts of West Africa.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus gave the warning on Wednesday during a virtual media briefing on Ebola and other global health concerns. He said the outbreak had already become the second-largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded and was spreading at a faster rate than previous outbreaks.
According to him, 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths have so far been recorded across five provinces and 53 health zones. Ituri Province accounts for more than 90 per cent of the reported cases and 80 per cent of the deaths.
Ghebreyesus said sustained transmission was still being recorded in Bunia, Rwampara, Nizi and Lita, raising concerns about continued community transmission.
He noted that a significant number of deaths were occurring outside treatment centres and among people who were not previously identified as contacts of infected persons. This, he said, suggested that several transmission chains remained undetected.
The WHO chief identified late presentation of patients and unsafe burial practices as major factors contributing to the spread of the virus. He stressed that early medical care and safe, dignified burials were essential to reducing transmission.
Ghebreyesus also emphasised the importance of community involvement and public trust in the response. He said authorities and international partners were expanding surveillance, treatment, contact tracing and other interventions across affected areas.
He disclosed that efforts were underway to raise contact-tracing coverage from about 80 per cent to 95 per cent, while treatment capacity was being expanded to 3,000 beds within 12 weeks.
The response, he added, would require thousands of additional health workers. More than 21,000 community health workers have already been trained to assist with activities in affected communities.
Despite the challenges, 886 patients have recovered from the disease. Ghebreyesus said treatment centres, laboratories, safe burial teams and community engagement programmes were reaching hundreds of thousands of people across the affected provinces.
On vaccines, he said two vaccines specifically developed against the Bundibugyo virus had entered phase-one human safety trials. He also recommended that a Zaire ebolavirus vaccine be evaluated in a phase-three trial after promising evidence of cross-protection was observed in animal studies.
The WHO-sponsored PARTNERS trial, he added, had enrolled 100 patients as researchers continued efforts to establish the effectiveness of available treatments.
Ghebreyesus called for stronger international cooperation to contain the outbreak, involving the Congolese government, WHO, Africa CDC and other partners.
He said funding remained a major obstacle, noting that only $264 million of the $518 million required under the Continental Preparedness and Response Plan had been released.
He therefore appealed for faster funding, better security and improved access to affected communities, particularly in parts of eastern DRC where armed conflict continues.
The WHO director-general also cautioned against vaccination policies that are not supported by scientific evidence, reaffirming that vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines, are safe and do not cause autism.
As part of activities marking International Youth Day, Ghebreyesus further highlighted health challenges facing young people, including mental health problems, loneliness, violence and road traffic injuries. He called for greater youth participation in global health initiatives.
(NAN)