DR Congo: WHO urges sustained efforts as Ebola cases top 10,000

Latest data from the Congolese Ministry of Health indicates there were 10,141 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths as of Monday. 

“Sustained efforts are essential to end the outbreak,” WHO said in a tweet.  

“This requires continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach that builds trust and encourages people to engage with the response.” 

Historic outbreak

The UN agency and partners are assisting the DRC authorities in curbing transmission of Ebola disease caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus for which there is currently no vaccine or treatment. 

This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country’s history, and the largest to date. It is also the second largest in the world after the West Africa outbreak from 2014-2016. 

The outbreak began in the vast and volatile eastern region of the DRC amid conflict, hunger and widespread displacement, and has expanded to eight provinces, including areas that are hard to access.  

Signs of progress

Yet WHO noted that “progress is being made”, as more than 2,600 people have recovered from Ebola, while capacity for testing and treatment have expanded. Moreover, clinical trials of candidate vaccines are underway.  

The TUMAINI trials – Swahili for “hope” – will initially evaluate whether the Evebro vaccine used to treat the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus can provide protection in the current crisis. 

Vaccines will be administered through the ring vaccination approach, which involves close contacts of confirmed Ebola patients. 

“During the West Africa Ebola outbreak, WHO and partners used this same ring-vaccination approach in Guinea to help establish the efficacy of Ervebo,” said Dr. Meg Moherty, the agency’s technical lead for vaccine trials, who attended the TUMAINI launch in the city of Bunia on Friday. 

“Today, scientists are building on that experience to seek answers about Bundibugyo virus,” she added. 

WHO recently convened expert groups to evaluate evidence on two other vaccines designed specifically against Bundibugyo and the findings are expected to be published this week. 

Support for Kenya

Meanwhile, a UN humanitarian fund has allocated more than $2 million to boost Ebola preparedness and response in Kenya. 

The funding will enable aid partners to support Government-led efforts, including enhanced surveillance at border crossing points and training for rapid response teams and front-line responders. 

Resources will also be used to strengthen preparedness along high-risk refugee and travel routes in the northwest.  

Kenya has recorded nine Ebola cases, including two deaths. All are linked to the country’s first case of the disease – a Kenyan man working in the DRC who flew to Nairobi via Uganda on 3 October and died two days later. 

More than 130 contacts were identified who were placed under quarantine, and 20 have since been discharged.