Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus briefed reporters in Geneva a day after returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he met with a wide range of stakeholders, and said he was encouraged by the Government’s commitment to combating the deadly epidemic, which has also spread to neighboring Uganda.
“What I saw gave me hope“, said.
“The outbreak had a big head start and we are still behind, but under the leadership of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we are catching up.”
Decrease in the number of cases
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus for which there is no treatment, although three vaccines are being developed.
Tedros said 344 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including 60 deaths.. Meanwhile, The number of suspected cases has dropped from more than 1,000 last week to 116. as teams clear up the backlog.
The epicenter of the outbreak is the eastern province of Ituri, with cases also in the provinces of North and South Kivu. It takes place amid constant violence from armed groups, other health threats such as malaria, and extreme humanitarian needs.
Three Ebola treatment centers are currently operating in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, with a capacity of 80 beds. Treatment units have also been established in five other regional cities and more are on the way.
Risk and recovery
Meanwhile, Uganda has recorded one confirmed death and 15 confirmed cases.including a Congolese resident who traveled there from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A US citizen infected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to receive care in Germany.
The WHO risk assessment has not changed and remains very high at national level and high at regional level, while The overall risk is low..
To date, six people have recovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and two in Uganda, “showing that people can survive Ebola if they have access to medical care and go to health centers as soon as they show symptoms.”
A WFP worker talks to women preparing food for people affected by Ebola in Goma, capital of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Intensify efforts
Tedros outlined current challenges, noting that expanding laboratory and diagnostic capacity is a key priority to ensure a faster response.
Action is needed on contact tracing, which is especially difficult due to insecurity, displacement and population movements. he said The current monitoring rate, about 45 percent, must reach more than 90 percent “to stay ahead of the outbreak”.
The WHO is also calling on countries that have imposed blanket travel restrictions to lift them because these measures are disrupting supply chains and hampering response efforts. The UN agency recommends exit controls at airports, ports and border crossings.
Build trust in the community
Tedros emphasized the critical need to build trust with local communities to control the outbreak. “Community mistrust is a serious barrier” he said. “Some community leaders told me they believe Ebola is not real.”
While there are currently no vaccines or therapies to treat the outbreak, WHO and its partners are working to advance clinical trials as quickly as possible.
In this sense, Tedros convened on Wednesday a second meeting of a medical network, which was established in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen diagnostics, immediately support affected countries in conducting clinical trials and accelerate investment to support the overall response.
“While vaccines and therapies would be of great help, the key to ending this outbreak is not biomedical. It is leadership, ownership, partnership and trust“, said.
Commitment and support
The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced 16 previous Ebola outbreaks and Tedros insisted this one will be stopped, but “the true measure of success” will be preventing future recurrences and addressing broader health needs.
“If the people of Ituri survive Ebola and die from malaria or malnutrition, or from pneumonia, from diarrheal diseases, from HIV or from diabetes, we haven’t really helped them,” he said.
He underlined the commitment of WHO and its partners to end the outbreak, under the leadership of the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“When it ends, we will remain equally committed to supporting the government and local communities to build the health and humanitarian services they need and deserve,” he said.
