\n
<\/p>\n
The family carried out the burial themselves \u2013 potentially exposing dozens more people to the virus.<\/p>\n
The incident offers a stark illustration of one of the biggest obstacles facing efforts to contain the latest deadly epidemic, which has infected 381 people and claimed 64 lives in DRC as of 3 June.<\/p>\n
For Marie Roseline Belizaire, the World Health Organization\u2019s (WHO) Emergency Preparedness and Response Director for Africa, the most challenging part is not always the virus itself \u2013 it can be sitting with families who believe the disease is caused by witchcraft, persuading traditional healers to work alongside health teams or health teams returning to communities that threatened them \u2013 only days earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not trying to overcome their culture,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to involve the science in their own belief.\u201d<\/p>\n The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus \u2013 for which there is no vaccine or treatment \u2013 continues to spread in eastern DRC while cases have also been reported across the border in Uganda.<\/p>\n Speaking to UN News<\/em> from Bunia, in Ituri province, Dr. Belizaire said the response has made significant gains in recent weeks, particularly in testing capacity.<\/p>\n At the start of the outbreak, laboratories could process about 40 tests a day. That capacity has now expanded to 800 daily tests, allowing suspected cases to be confirmed or ruled out much more quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the tests that we are receiving, we are rolling them out at the same day, almost,\u201d she said. \u201cThe time to expect your result has been reduced. Twenty-four, maximum 48 hours you have the result.\u201d<\/p>\n Community alerts are first investigated in the field, with those meeting the outbreak\u2019s case definition tested and either confirmed or ruled out \u2013 allowing suspected cases to be cleared from the system more quickly than at the start of the outbreak.<\/p>\n Contact tracing rates have improved from around 25 per cent to 45 per cent, but that remains far below the 90 to 95 per cent coverage needed to effectively contain transmission.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still have a lot of challenges,\u201d she said, adding that the outbreak\u2019s regional dimensions remain a concern.<\/p>\n Uganda has recorded 15 confirmed cases and one probable case linked to the outbreak. One Congolese national also travelled through the United Arab Emirates before arriving in Uganda, highlighting how quickly infectious diseases can move across borders.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen there is an outbreak and you have mobility, it is always a concern,\u201d Dr. Belizaire said, stressing however that mechanisms such as WHO\u2019s International Health Regulations help countries share information rapidly and coordinate responses.<\/p>\n For WHO teams on the ground, one of the most complex tasks is building trust. Many communities in affected areas have experienced years of conflict and insecurity. Cultural beliefs and misinformation can also shape how people interpret illness and death.<\/p>\n \u201cThe disease symptoms are very malaria-like in the community,\u201d Dr. Belizaire explained.<\/p>\n Some families attribute deaths to witchcraft or poisoning rather than infection.<\/p>\n Health workers therefore focus on coexistence rather than confrontation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t stop them to believe in witchcraft, to believe any other things in their culture,\u201d she said. \u201cWe just ask them to simultaneously believe in the disease existence also.\u201d<\/p>\n Traditional healers are also being engaged as partners rather than excluded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t stop them going to traditional healers,\u201d she said. \u201cWe ask [the healers], if you see someone with those symptoms, refer it also to us.\u201d<\/p>\n The approach reflects lessons learned from previous Ebola outbreaks, where mistrust often proved as dangerous as the virus itself.<\/p>\n WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who recently visited the outbreak\u2019s epicentre, warned that \u201cmisinformation is almost as dangerous as the virus itself, and spreads just as fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the difficulties, there have been encouraging signs. Seven people have recovered from Ebola, including six healthcare workers.<\/p>\n Most sought treatment early and received intensive supportive care, including rehydration and treatment for symptoms while their immune systems fought the infection.<\/p>\n \u201cThey recovered because they went early to the hospital,\u201d Dr. Belizaire said.<\/p>\n WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Friday launched a joint continental preparedness and response plan to combat the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak and strengthen readiness across the continent.<\/p>\n The six-month plan aims to mobilize $518 million under a \u201cOne Response\u201d approach<\/strong> bringing together governments, UN agencies, humanitarian partners and communities.<\/p>\n It supports ongoing national response plans in DRC and Uganda while strengthening preparedness in neighbouring countries at risk of cross-border transmission. The plan focuses on emergency coordination, clinical care, research, surveillance and testing, infection prevention and control, community engagement and logistics.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe only way to beat this outbreak is through close partnership…no country faces Ebola alone,<\/strong>\u201d WHO Director-General Tedros said.<\/p>\n Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya highlighted the urgency of the response, stating \u201cEbola moves fast. Africa must move faster,<\/strong>\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, although candidate vaccines are under development.<\/p>\n But Dr. Belizaire stressed that even a vaccine would not replace the need for early detection and treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key is, as soon as you have symptoms, you go to the healthcare centre,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Among the encounters that have stayed with Dr. Belizaire most is that of a healthcare worker who contracted Ebola while caring for a patient. The female medic later recovered.<\/p>\n Rather than leaving the profession, she said she intends to continue serving others.<\/p>\n \u201cShe said she will not stop,\u201d Dr. Belizaire recalled. “She said she was born to give care to others, and it is what she will continue doing.\u201d<\/p>\n That story reflects the resilience of health workers and communities confronting the outbreak every day.<\/p>\n
\n Dr. Belizaire (centre) in a discussion with WHO officials and health partners. The agency is leading UN’s response to a deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo.<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nProgress, but not yet control<\/h2>\n
Firmer trace<\/h2>\n
\n An aerial view of Mongbwalu, a town in Ituri province, where health teams are responding to the Ebola outbreak. The white building complex in the foreground is a field hospital.<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTrust in public health<\/h2>\n
Ancient and modern<\/h2>\n
\n WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (right) meets with a health worker who recovered from Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus after they had been discharged from a hospital in Bunia.<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nReasons for hope<\/h2>\n
\u2018No country faces Ebola alone\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Candidate vaccines under development<\/h2>\n
A survivor\u2019s determination<\/h2>\n