Medical teams are being rushed to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a fast-moving Ebola outbreak that has already caused dozens of suspected deaths and raised fears of wider regional spread.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern after cases were confirmed beyond the DRC’s borders, including in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.
Health officials say the outbreak may have killed around 80 people in recent weeks. So far, eight cases have been laboratory-confirmed, with more than 200 suspected infections reported in Ituri province, where the outbreak appears to be centred.
Experts say the outbreak’s late detection has allowed the virus to spread more quickly than usual. Another case has been reported in the eastern city of Goma, in neighbouring North Kivu province, raising concerns about further transmission.
A delegation led by Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba has arrived in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, to coordinate the response. Emergency measures include the deployment of treatment tents to relieve pressure on local hospitals.
“This is not a mystical disease,” Kamba said, urging people to report symptoms early to reduce the risk of further spread.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which differs from the more common Zaire variant. Unlike that strain, there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, complicating efforts to contain the virus.
WHO officials say medical supplies are being mobilised, with stocks of protective equipment in the capital, Kinshasa, already depleted. Additional supplies are being prepared for shipment from regional stockpiles.
Aid organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Rescue Committee, have dispatched teams to affected areas.
The response is taking place in a region already affected by armed violence and humanitarian crisis. Recent clashes between rival armed groups in Ituri have worsened conditions and made it harder for health workers to reach affected communities.
Previous Ebola outbreaks in eastern DRC have also faced challenges due to distrust of authorities and aid workers. Between 2018 and 2020, a major outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri killed nearly 2,300 people, becoming the second deadliest on record.
Local officials say the current outbreak may have been triggered by a funeral gathering in mid-April, with cases rising sharply afterwards.
Uganda has already taken precautionary steps, postponing a major national religious gathering that typically attracts thousands of visitors from eastern DRC.
Meanwhile, reports suggest some foreign nationals in the region may have been exposed to the virus, although these claims have not been independently confirmed.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials and has an average fatality rate of around 50 per cent, according to the WHO.
Health experts warn that weakened disease surveillance systems, partly due to declining international funding, may have contributed to the delayed response.
“With weaker surveillance, diseases like Ebola can spread further and faster before being detected,” said Lievin Bangali of the International Rescue Committee.
Authorities say containing the outbreak will depend on rapid detection, community cooperation and sustained international support.
With cases already crossing borders, there are growing fears that the outbreak could expand further if it is not brought under control quickly.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the of...
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) has opened in Baku, bringing together governments, international organisations, city leader...
A drone strike caused a fire at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, officials said on Sunday, with ...
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are negotiating summer water allocations as rising temperatures, agricultural demand and pressure on shared r...
When 36 nations signed up to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Georgia - a country partly occupi...
The World Health Organisation’s designation of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a stark reminder that Ebola remains a persistent global health threat rather than a disease of the past.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared the end of a 16th Ebola outbreak, closing a two month emergency in Kasai Province that pushed national and international teams into an intensive response.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus could become one of the world’s key strategic connectors in an emerging multipolar order.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
The World Health Organisation’s designation of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a stark reminder that Ebola remains a persistent global health threat rather than a disease of the past.
The risk from hantavirus to the general public remains very low, and the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more than 100 staff members actively working on the outbreak, a governmental health official said on Wednesday.
A Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members as a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols, according to officials, as medics around the world work to stop the spread of the outbreak.
The European Union is preparing sweeping new regulations targeting the addictive design features of major social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta and X, amid mounting evidence linking their use to serious mental health harm among children and teenagers.
Biological samples from an Italian man were transferred to a specialist hospital for testing on Tuesday, after he was suspected of contracting hantavirus. Meanwhile, World Health Organization boss Tedros Ghebreyesus said there were “no sign” of a larger outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment