Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in country’s history

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is accelerating rapidly and poses a significant threat of spreading to neighboring countries, according to the head of the World Health Organization. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated bluntly that the outbreak is "far from being under control" during an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The current death toll of over 2,300 out of nearly 5,000 cases makes it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the country.

The 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo, declared on May 15, is believed to have been active for weeks prior to the official declaration. It has primarily affected regions in the north and east, where weak governmental presence, inadequate health infrastructure, and decades of armed conflict have hindered control efforts. According to Tedros, insecurity, displacement, and intense population movement along roads, rivers, and mining routes are fueling the spread of the virus.

The WHO chief emphasized that the Ebola virus is spreading "faster than any previous Ebola outbreak" and highlighted the urgent need to identify and break the chains of transmission before the epidemic can be brought under control. Tedros noted that the virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes a severe hemorrhagic fever.

The speed of the current outbreak has surpassed that of any previous Ebola epidemic, even outpacing the largest outbreak in history, which occurred in West Africa from 2013 to 2016 and claimed more than 11,300 lives. A 2018-2020 outbreak in Congo, previously regarded as the deadliest, resulted in 2,299 deaths out of 3,381 confirmed cases.

The WHO emergency committee convened for the second time on Tuesday to discuss recommendations for the outbreak. The committee's decision on its next steps has yet to be made. As of now, the United Nations health agency classifies the public health risk at a "very high" level within Congo, "high" for Uganda and other neighboring nations, and "low" for the rest of Africa and the world.

While no specific vaccine or treatment exists for the current strain of Ebola, clinical trials are underway. WHO chief Tedros expressed his greatest concern for the lack of proper treatment facilities, stating that people are dying at home, in their communities, and outside of treatment centers. He emphasized that each death underscores the presence of more chains of transmission yet to be identified.

WHO expert Thierno Balde reported on Tuesday that efforts are being made to strengthen and decentralize the response to the outbreak, focusing on better protection for motorcycle taxi drivers who transport patients and integrating them into the surveillance system. Balde acknowledged that the organization is striving for noticeable improvement in the coming months, but cautioned that it is impossible to provide a timeline for when the epidemic will be brought under control.