KEY POINTS
- Ebola cases have been reported across 62 health zones in seven provinces of DR Congo.
- WHO recorded 7,200 cases and nearly 3,500 deaths as of Sept. 12.
- North Kivu is experiencing a sharp increase in weekly infections.
- UN says the humanitarian response is only 49 per cent funded.
- International emergency medical teams and additional funding are urgently needed.
MAIN STORY
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to expand despite intensified containment efforts, with nearly 3,500 deaths recorded across 62 health zones.
The UN Special Ebola Coordinator, Julien Harneis, said on Tuesday that responders had made progress in some areas but the outbreak remained a major threat across the country.
Data from Sept. 12 released by the World Health Organisation showed 7,200 reported Ebola cases and close to 3,500 deaths. The virus has spread to seven provinces covering a wide geographical area.
WHO Unit Head for Epidemiology and Analytics for Response, Dr Olivier le Polain, said infections were declining in some locations but increasing rapidly in others.
North Kivu is among the areas causing particular concern, with weekly cases doubling from about 100 to 200. WHO said Butembo and Katwa, a major axis in northern North Kivu, were areas of particular concern.
The scale of the outbreak is being compounded by difficult operating conditions in affected areas, many of which have experienced prolonged insecurity and limited development.
Harneis said damaged roads, difficult air access and attacks against response teams were making it harder to reach communities and deliver medical assistance.
The outbreak has also added pressure to an already stretched humanitarian situation. According to Harneis, the $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan is only 49 per cent funded.
He said the Ebola crisis was worsening existing problems, including hunger, reduced attendance at health facilities, rising maternal mortality and interruptions to HIV treatment.
The UN and its partners have been supporting the Congolese authorities since the emergency was declared in mid May, including efforts to expand treatment capacity.
Harneis said additional specialised medical teams were needed to prevent the response from reaching a plateau, while warning that another $1 billion would be required to sustain the operation beyond its first six months.
He said some countries had indicated a willingness to deploy emergency medical teams but called for greater commitment of personnel and resources.
WHO said the outbreak would require sustained intervention for many months before it could be brought fully under control.
THE ISSUES
- The spread of Ebola across seven provinces creates a major logistical challenge because response teams must operate across a wide geographical area while reaching communities with limited transport access.
- Insecurity is complicating the health response, with violence against response personnel adding another barrier to containing infections and delivering treatment.
- The outbreak is placing additional pressure on health services already serving communities affected by wider humanitarian needs, including hunger and interrupted treatment for other medical conditions.
- Funding remains a major constraint. With the wider humanitarian response only 49 per cent funded, shortages of financial and medical resources could limit the ability to sustain the Ebola response.
- The uneven pattern of infections makes containment more difficult, as declining cases in some areas are being accompanied by rapid increases elsewhere, particularly in parts of North Kivu.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“If we don’t have the resources, the epidemic will come back…it remains a deadly and massive epidemic.” – Julien Harneis, UN Special Ebola Coordinator
“Although the response has been unprecedented in its scale, the epidemic continues to expand.” – Dr Olivier le Polain, WHO Unit Head for Epidemiology and Analytics for Response
“If you don’t provide the care, if you don’t finance the care, if you don’t provide the technical resources, then Ebola is a live enemy and will come back at us.” – Julien Harneis, UN Special Ebola Coordinator
WHAT’S NEXT
The UN is calling for additional funding and the immediate deployment of international emergency medical teams to strengthen specialised care and sustain the response.
WHO expects containment efforts to continue for several months, with particular attention required in areas where infections are increasing rapidly.
BOTTOM LINE
The Ebola outbreak remains active across a large part of DR Congo, with nearly 3,500 deaths recorded as of Sept. 12. The UN says additional funding, medical personnel and technical resources are needed to prevent further expansion of the outbreak.
