“The world is no safer from pandemics“, said experts from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) on Monday, who highlighted how the world’s vulnerability was exposed by the Ebola outbreak a decade ago and then by the COVID-19 “global catastrophe.”
“As infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging, with increasing health, economic, political and social impacts and reduced capacity to recover.“, the experts said in a new report.
Ebola update
Ebola is a serious, often fatal disease that affects humans and other primates.
On Saturday May 16, health authorities recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspicious deaths in the province of Ituri, in the east of the DRC.
On Sunday, unconfirmed reports indicated that an individual had tested positive for Ebola in the rebel-held city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and home to a million residents.
The confirmed case is believed to be the wife of a man who died after contracting the Ebola virus in Bunia, capital of Ituri province. Another person who traveled from Bunia to Beni in North Kivu also tested positive for the Ebola virus.
Cases have also been confirmed in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and across the border in Uganda, where two infected people came from the DRC and were admitted to intensive care. The Ugandan capital, Kampala, is also affected, the WHO said.
The agency supports the government-led response with 42 health professionals on the ground and equipment already deployed.
The agency has warned that the outbreak is likely larger than currently detected, pointing to clusters of unexplained deaths, a high positivity rate among tested samples and a limited understanding of transmission patterns. At least four deaths among healthcare workers have raised concerns about infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities.
In a statement, the UN agency noted that there are no approved treatments or vaccines to treat the Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for the current outbreak.
“Continuing insecurity, the humanitarian crisis, high population mobility, the urban or semi-urban nature of the current hotspot and the large network of informal health facilities further increase the risk of spread, as was the case during the large Ebola virus disease outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in 2018-19,” WHO said.
“We know how to control Ebola”
“Ebola is a very serious disease, but we know how to control it,” said Mohamed Janabi, WHO director for Africa. PK Press Club.
Dr Janabi, a cardiologist, explained that the United Nations health agency has classified it as a public health emergency of international concern, which helps to attract international attention, mobilize resources more quickly and ensure that countries work together in a coordinated manner.
“But that doesn’t mean people should panic. It means the global system is working as it should, detecting and responding very decisively,” he added, calling on the media to disseminate correct information.
“Fear itself is an epidemic,” he concluded.
Listen to the full interview with Dr. Janabi:
AI boon or bust
Highlighting the potential of AI to improve preparedness and monitor pandemic threats, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) highlighted that without effective governance and safeguards, technological innovations could actually reduce health safety And widen gaps in access to health care which defined COVID-19.
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) is an independent monitoring and accountability body established in 2018 by WHO and the World Bank – officially a specialized agency of the United Nations – to strengthen preparedness for global health crises.
The Council emphasizes that this national leadership will be tested this year as governments work to finalize the WHO agreement on the pandemic – and work to agree “a meaningful UN political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response”.
