WHO races to contain Ebola outbreak in Congo

On May 30, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited Ituri province, the epicenter of the third-largest Ebola outbreak in the history of the African nation of Congo, as the disease spread faster than health authorities could respond.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrives at Bunia airport to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 30. Photo: Reuters.

This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo. The WHO acknowledges that the current rate of spread is exceeding the international community's response capacity, while financial and human resources for combating the epidemic remain severely lacking.

Speaking in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, Tedros said that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus strain causing this outbreak. Therefore, early supportive care measures such as isolation, hydration, and pain management are particularly important.

"Seeking medical care early really makes a difference," Tedros emphasized.

The WHO head also urged people to practice safe burial rites, warning that the bodies of Ebola victims are highly contagious.

"I understand how painful it is to lose a loved one and what it means to give them a proper farewell," he said.

"While we mourn those who have been lost, we must do everything we can to prevent the loss of anyone else."

According to health authorities, there have been numerous incidents of crowds attacking medical facilities in an attempt to take the bodies of deceased patients home for traditional funerals, increasing the risk of disease spread.

The WHO reported that as of May 29, Congo had recorded 906 suspected Ebola cases and 223 deaths suspected to be related to the disease. Meanwhile, the Congolese Ministry of Health said the latest number of suspected cases had risen to 1,028, with 225 confirmed.

Health officials and aid workers say they are lacking even basic supplies like masks after weeks of the disease silently spreading undetected.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on May 30 that the current response is still not keeping pace with the speed of the outbreak.

"Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded such a large number of cases in such a short period of time after it was announced," said Alan Gonzalez, MSF's Deputy Executive Director for Operations.

"Like everyone in the affected areas, MSF teams are witnessing a response campaign that has yet to keep pace with the rapid spread of the disease."

According to the WHO, the organization has only received about one-third of the funding needed for its pandemic response. Meanwhile, Jean Kaseya, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said that some initial funding commitments have significantly decreased as donors reconsider their contribution levels.

Amid concerns about the ability to control the outbreak, Congo's Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba rejected the notion that Ebola was "out of control," asserting that experience from previous outbreaks would help the country contain the situation.

"We have experience responding to epidemics. We defeated Ebola last year. Trust us, we know what we're doing."

In related developments, Brazil announced it is investigating a suspected Ebola case in the state of Sao Paulo linked to a man who recently returned from Congo. Authorities said the patient is currently isolated at a specialist hospital.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/who-chay-dua-ngan-ebola-bung-phat-tai-congo-976439.html