The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a fresh alarm at the threat of the rapidly rising Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, warning that the virus is now spreading across national borders and that many cases are being reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda.
The outbreak appears to be driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant of the virus for which there is no vaccine or treatment at present. It has spread so quickly since it was declared in May that health officials are scrambling to track infections and prevent further disease spread.
By early June, the Democratic Republic of Congo had identified more than 500 confirmed cases and over 90 deaths linked to the outbreak. Uganda has also confirmed cases and deaths from the DRC, most of the cases coming from cross-border travel. Cross-border transmission is now certainly believed, WHO officials say, and regional cooperation is crucial to limit the spread of the disease.
The outbreak is particularly widespread in eastern Congo, especially in the Ituri Province, where most confirmed cases have been. But health officials warn that the frequent movement of people across borders for trade, mining, healthcare, and family connections makes it more likely that the disease will spread to neighbouring countries.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, has warned that the outbreak is fast-moving and that response efforts are still slow to keep pace with the virus. He said, “blanket border closures are not the solution we need to go through and evidence-based public health measures like surveillance and testing, contact tracing, treatment support” are needed.
It is complicated further by ongoing insecurity and armed conflict in parts of eastern Congo. Health workers have had difficulties accessing affected communities, and attacks on humanitarian workers and distrust in public health facilities have disrupted surveillance and response operations. Experts say such obstacles could allow undetected transmission chains to continue spreading the disease.
The WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have now launched a joint six-month preparedness and response plan worth approximately $518 million, which will help in the detection of outbreak events, treatment, border screening, and support countries at risk of importing cases.
Despite the increase in cases, WHO currently assesses the global risk from the outbreak as low. However, the risk is very high in the Democratic Republic of Congo and high in neighbouring countries because of the continued cross-border movement and active transmission.
Public health experts say early detection, community engagement, and global cooperation will be crucial to stop the epidemic. More cases are coming in, and infections are already crossing borders, and authorities are calling on governments in Africa to work towards being prepared and to be alert to the virus spreading.
