Speaking to reporters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the two-month-old outbreak has continued to expand despite major efforts by the government, WHO, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners.
“So far, 2,273 cases have been reported, with 796 deaths.“, he said. “In comparison, the 2018-2019 Ebola outbreak in the DRC took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases.”
Transmission continues to accelerate
Tedros said intense transmission in Ituri province, in the DRC’s restive eastern region, remains WHO’s biggest concern.
More than 80 percent of new infections are detected outside known contact listsindicating that chains of transmission continue undetected, while around two-thirds of deaths occur in communities among people who never receive treatment in a health facility.
“Despite the progress we have made, the epidemic in the DRC is continues to exceed the answer“, he warned.
Active armed conflict also hampers operations. Dr. Tedros noted that an Ebola virus A treatment center in Bunia was attacked on Wednesdayfurther complicating efforts to reach affected communities.
“We can survive this disease”
Treatment capacity increased to more than 800 beds, laboratory capacity increased from one to 16, and contact tracing rates reached nearly 80 percent. More than 21,000 community health workers are being trained, while safe and dignified burials have also improved.
The Director-General highlighted encouraging progress in research and therapeutics, but even without vaccines or approved treatments, 377 people have recovered from the disease.
“With early diagnosis and safe care, this disease can be survived and stopped.” said Tedros.
Milestone in Uganda
In neighboring Uganda, however, the WHO reported encouraging progress.
The last confirmed Ebola patient in the country was discharged from care on Thursday after twice testing negative for the virus, marking the start of the 42-day countdown before the outbreak can be officially declared over.
Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Fifteen infections were linked to importation from the DRC, while five resulted from local transmission.
WHO representative Dr Kasonde Mwinga said the figures reflected the commitment of Uganda’s health workers, communities and partners, but warned the country remained at risk.
Funding gap threatens response
Tedros stressed that containing the epidemic would require stronger political and financial support.
The WHO and Africa CDC Joint Continental Preparedness and Response Plan still faces a funding gap of more than $400 million.
“We urge donors to fill this gap and help us control this outbreak as quickly as possible,” he said.
“This is not charity. This is an investment in national security.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, also appealed for additional resources, warning this week that only 25 percent of the funding required for its Ebola response is currently available.
During a visit to Ituri, UNICEF regional director Gilles Fagninou said the outbreak could still be contained if governments, communities and humanitarian partners acted more quickly and collectively.
“We know how to stop this epidemic,” Fagninou said. “The challenge is not the lack of solutions, but the lack of funding to deploy them at the necessary scale. »
