The Democratic Republic of the Congo Battles Ebola Along with COVID-19

Équateur Province, where the outbreak originated (Wikimedia Commons)

For the past several months, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been struggling to contain a novel Ebola outbreak. The Ministry of Health for the Democratic Republic of the Congo claims that the first case appeared near Mbandaka in the Équateur Province between May 18 and May 30.

This is the DRC’s eleventh outbreak of Ebola; however, the World Health Organization along with the DRC’s National Institute of Biomedical Research postulate that this strain of Ebola, specifically Zaire ebolavirus, remains distinct when compared with the genetic sequence of previous Ebola outbreaks, including the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the 2014 outbreak in West Africa.

The Ebola Virus (Wikimedia Commons)

The Ebola virus, which primarily spreads through direct contact between infected people, has wreaked havoc on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its fragile health system for the past several years. As of August 31, the DRC has recorded 109 cases with a staggering 47 deaths, leading to a mortality rate of 43%. 

Although scientists have yet to identify the exact reservoir host, they have significantly improved antiviral treatment options since 2014, allowing for a decreased mortality rate and a higher chance of recovery. 

However, this outbreak presents a new challenge for healthcare workers and epidemiologists. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, claims, “The virus is spreading across a wide and rugged terrain which requires costly interventions and with COVID-19 draining resources and attention, it is hard to scale-up operations.”

Although the U.S. Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have sent supplies and personnel to the DRC, this response has failed to stop the spread of Ebola, as the virus has infected people nearly 300 kilometers from its initial point of origin.

Even with 90 healthcare workers from the World Health Organization providing ground-level support in the DRC, there are nearly 774,000 people in the affected areas, creating a logistical nightmare. 

Unfortunately, the Ebola outbreak shows no signs of slowing down, and in the words of Dr. Moeti, “COVID-19 is not the only emergency needing robust support. As we know from our recent history, we ignore Ebola at our peril.”