Africa: Africa CDC and WHO Call for Urgent, Community-Led Action to Contain Ebola in the DR Congo

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are urging an urgent, community-led response to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). During a joint mission to Uganda and DRC, they identified key areas for improvement in the response effort.

The mission, led by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya, and WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Janabi, visited Uganda and Ituri Province, the outbreak's epicenter. In Uganda, they praised the country's leadership and response, noting the importance of early detection, rapid contact tracing, coordinated action, and community engagement.

In Ituri, the delegation assessed the effectiveness of existing response operations, identified gaps, and highlighted the crucial role of communities in containing Ebola. They emphasized the need for clear, trusted information from community leaders, early symptom recognition, and the involvement of community representatives in all aspects of the response.

As of their visit, the DRC had reported 3,973 confirmed cases, 1,801 deaths, and 776 recoveries. However, contact follow-up was at 75%, below the 95% target for rapid transmission chain identification. Treatment centers were operating at 139% capacity, straining resources.

The organizations called for immediate action to scale up response efforts, including stronger national coordination, greater community engagement, support for frontline health workers, and sustained international backing. They stressed that ending the outbreak depends on communities receiving trusted information, reporting symptoms, and participating in all response activities.