Ebola outbreak in Ecuador, Democratic Republic of the Congo-New Delhi Times

The World Health Organization is concerned about the rapid increase and spread of the deadly Ebola virus in remote, dense forested areas of Equatur in the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Health officials have reported that 100 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were infected with Ebola in less than 100 days, killing nearly half or 43 of the people with this highly contagious disease.

According to the WHO, the virus is continuing to spread and has already infected 11 of 17 health zones in the state. This is of particular concern as it is difficult to reach affected communities in vast geographical areas.

WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says there is currently about a five-day delay between the onset of symptoms and the warning of suspicious cases.

“This is of concern because the longer patients are left untreated, the less likely they are to survive and the virus can spread invisibly longer in the community.” Strikes have made the situation even more complicated, affecting activities such as vaccinations and safe burial,” Tedros said.

Health workers in Mbandaka, the capital of Equatur, have recently made a protest strike over unpaid wages. The strike is now reportedly over after the government promised to investigate.

Nevertheless, money remains a central issue in the fight against this epidemic, especially as COVID-19 resources are running out of money from Ebola’s activities. According to Tedros, the operation is in serious financial trouble.

“In order to support effective response across an ever-expanding geographical area and help health authorities identify cases early, there is an urgent need to improve human resources and logistics capacity. Has put in place a plan that will cost around US$40 million and we ask our partners to support this plan,” Tedros said.

This latest Ebola outbreak, the 11th DRC, was declared on June 1 in the state of Equator in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the same as the last outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri. The largest outbreak in the history of the country infected 3,481 people and killed nearly 2,300.

Credit: Voice of America (VOA)