The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are concerned about the growing Ebola outbreak in the northwestern province of Equateur, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as they face critical funding gaps amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN health agency said.
The outbreak was declared on 1 June and there have been 56 cases, 53 of which are confirmed, surpassing the total number recorded during the province’s last Ebola outbreak, two years ago.
Concerns raised as the #Ebola outbreak in Equateur Province #DRC continues to grow & resources diminish. There are now 56 cases, surpassing the 2018 outbreak in this area of 54 cases in total.
Read more: https://t.co/JPijycTOHG pic.twitter.com/UKvlydPeho
— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) July 16, 2020
This latest outbreak is the 11th for the DRC, which last month celebrated the end of Ebola in the restive eastern part of the country, following a nearly two-year battle.
The disease killed 2,280 people, making it the world’s second-deadliest Ebola outbreak.
WHO has mobilized $1.75 million for response in Equateur province but warned that this sum will last only a few more weeks.
The UN agency called for a scale-up in support to ensure affected communities are provided with key services, including health education, vaccination, testing, contact tracing and treatment.
The current response builds on lessons learned from the DRC’s previous Ebola outbreaks, underscoring the importance of working with local communities.
More than 12,000 people have been vaccinated in the six weeks since the outbreak began, with roughly 90 per cent of vaccinators coming from local areas.
WHO reported that vaccinations started within four days of the outbreak being declared, compared to two weeks during the 2018 outbreak.
