Ankara: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a dire warning on Thursday regarding the rapid escalation of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, emphasizing that it is spreading more swiftly than containment efforts. He called on the international community to intensify their response to the crisis.
According to Anadolu Agency, Guterres highlighted in a post on US social media platform X that the current Ebola epidemic is the most rapidly spreading outbreak ever recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He noted that the outbreak is expanding both faster and wider than the existing measures to control it, yet stressed that it can still be curtailed. Guterres emphasized the necessity for the world to urgently enhance actions to bring the situation under control.
As of August 26, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that the country had documented 5,713 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 2,744 fatalities. This marked an increase of 57 confirmed cases and 29 deaths from the previous day's figures. The outbreak, attributed to the Bundibugyo virus, was initially declared in May in the northeastern province of Ituri and has since expanded to several provinces and health zones, making it the largest Ebola outbreak in the country's history, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO designated the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern in May due to the rapid spread and potential for further international transmission. Efforts to combat the outbreak have been hindered by challenges such as insecurity, population movements, inadequate health infrastructure, and difficulties in accessing affected areas.
Moreover, the outbreak has resulted in cross-border transmission to neighboring Uganda, where authorities have reported 20 cases and two deaths. The WHO declared Uganda's outbreak over on Thursday after a 42-day period without new confirmed cases, while cautioning that the situation in Congo remains critical.
The WHO has indicated that the international response in Congo is facing a significant funding shortfall, with an estimated $30 million required to sustain essential containment activities.