Congo Ebola Outbreak: WHO Chief Tedros Calls for Scaled-Up Response as Death Toll Crosses 3,000
Geneva: World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday called for a major scale-up of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that unidentified chains of transmission continue to pose a serious challenge.
Tedros said the outbreak would continue to threaten the Democratic Republic of Congo, neighbouring countries and the wider region until every chain of transmission is identified and broken.
Ebola Death Toll in Congo Surpasses 3,000
Government data showed that more than 3,000 people have now died in Congo’s Ebola outbreak. The epidemic, which is spreading across the country’s northeast, has become the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo’s history.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola and has surpassed the 2018-2020 epidemic in Congo.
It remains smaller than the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed over 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Hidden Transmission Chains Raise Concern
Tedros said a significant number of deaths involved people who were not included on lists of known contacts.
According to him, this indicates that health authorities are still unaware of some chains of transmission. He also raised concern over unsafe burials, saying they could contribute to continued transmission of the virus.
Tedros urged the international community to increase and accelerate funding for the Congolese government-led Ebola response plan, which is seeking $1.3 billion.
More Funding Needed for Treatment Centres
The WHO has so far shipped 320 tonnes of supplies to Congo and has increased testing capacity to around 3,000 tests per day.
However, the organisation says additional funding is needed to strengthen the response, including expanding bed capacity at Ebola treatment centres.
WHO technical officer Luca Fontana said operating a 1,500-bed treatment centre costs around $15 million per month.
Tedros acknowledged that the appeal comes at a time when humanitarian assistance funding has declined. However, he said previous Ebola outbreaks had shown that the disease can be brought under control when sufficient resources and efforts are mobilised.
Clinical Trials Underway
More than 300 Ebola patients have been enrolled in trials involving two potential treatments, Tedros said.
Trials of the antiviral drug obeldesivir are also underway among people considered high-risk contacts of Ebola cases. Researchers are assessing whether the drug can prevent the disease after exposure to the virus.
Vaccine Trials Planned in Congo
Two new vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo virus are currently undergoing safety trials in Britain and Canada.
The WHO said it is not yet known whether an approved vaccine against the Zaire Ebola virus would also provide protection against Bundibugyo virus. Clinical efficacy trials are therefore required.
Tedros said the WHO and its partners are working to advance three vaccines to efficacy trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with trials expected to begin in October or November.
(Reuters)
