Kinshasa: The world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak is outpacing efforts to combat it, as health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo strike over unpaid wages. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted the urgency of the situation during his visit to the country. He noted that new Ebola cases are doubling in certain hotspots nearly three months into the outbreak.
According to France24.com, Tedros made a call for a massive scale-up of response efforts by all partners after meeting with officials in Kinshasa. This marks his second visit to the Central African nation since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. The DR Congo is preparing to open its largest-ever Ebola treatment facility as the number of confirmed cases reaches 3,973, including 1,801 deaths, as reported by government data.
The epicenter of the outbreak, Ituri province, is witnessing a worsening healthcare situation as many frontline workers have gone on strike due to delayed payments. The region, already vulnerable due to rebel conflicts, is near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda. Some workers have begun receiving overdue payments, but they continue to demand better wages. Anicet Baluku, a Bunia resident, attributed the death of his brothers from Ebola to the strike and urged authorities to find a swift resolution.
The US Department of State announced an additional $242 million in funding for Ebola response and preparedness, bringing total assistance to over $512 million. Despite these efforts, the current outbreak has become the second-largest on record, following the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.
The Bundibugyo virus, responsible for this outbreak, lacks approved treatment or vaccine. Doctors Without Borders emphasized that the outbreak is spreading at an unprecedented rate and that response efforts are not reaching communities swiftly enough to halt transmission. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease and Control, noted the failure of contact tracing, with a significant portion of new cases occurring outside monitored groups.
Late detection has contributed to a high fatality rate, with 44 out of 77 recent cases resulting in death. Efforts are being aligned to improve early detection, contact tracing, access to quality care, and community engagement. Tedros stressed the need for action across all affected areas, better coordination, and the protection of health workers, insisting that community trust and partnership are essential in stopping Ebola.