The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the Ebola epidemic has become the fastest-developing and second-largest in history. The epidemic is spreading rapidly and poses a serious threat to all of Africa. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
"Until every chain of transmission is detected and interrupted, the epidemic will continue and remain a threat to the DRC, its neighbors, and the entire region as a whole," he said at a briefing for journalists in Geneva.
Death Toll
The number of deaths from the fever in the DRC has exceeded 3,000, and the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 6,100. Almost every second infected person dies (mortality rate about 48.5%).
Rare Strain
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The main danger is that there are no specialized approved vaccines or drugs with proven effectiveness against it, although clinical trials of candidates are already underway. The DRC has also begun using the Ervebo vaccine (developed for the Zaire strain), which has shown positive results.
Hidden Transmission Chains
The WHO notes that many deaths occur among people who were not initially considered contacts. This indicates the presence of unaccounted transmission routes.
Epicenter
The epidemic has affected six Congolese provinces, with Ituri province remaining the epicenter. In neighboring Uganda, where cases were also previously recorded, the outbreak has been officially declared over.
Unsafe Burials
Many of the deceased are buried without following sanitary protocols, leading to infection of relatives and ceremony participants.
Funding Shortage
The international community is urged to accelerate the allocation of funds. A full plan to combat the virus over the next six months requires $1.3 billion.
Armed Conflict
In the virus-affected regions of the DRC, internal conflicts have been ongoing for decades. This has led to a million displaced people, destruction of infrastructure, and regular attacks on medical centers and humanitarian missions.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the WHO had warned of the threat of derailing the fight against Ebola due to a lack of funds.