The response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing serious logistical and security challenges, one month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern.
According to health and humanitarian officials quoted by Reuters, approximately one-third of reports of suspected cases in the epicenter of the outbreak are still going unanswered. Teams on the ground lack personnel, vehicles, and resources to conduct contact tracing and quickly isolate patients.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have also reported significant shortages, including ambulances and medical personnel, which are considerably slowing down interventions.
The outbreak, linked to a rare strain of the Ebola virus, has already surpassed 800 confirmed cases. Health authorities fear the situation could worsen, with the risk of it becoming one of the most serious epidemics since the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, which caused more than 11,000 deaths.
Humanitarian organizations such as Oxfam also report critical delays in the care of suspected patients, with some having to wait several hours before being transferred to specialist centers.
The difficulties are compounded by the local context: persistent insecurity, urban areas that are difficult to control and intense mining activity, which complicate contact tracing and the implementation of public health measures.
Health authorities are warning that without a rapid increase in human and logistical resources, the spread of the disease could accelerate in the coming weeks.
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