The Ebola epidemic in the DRC is already the second largest in history
In only a hundred days, 2,557 people have died and the speed of contagion is higher than in previous outbreaks
BarcelonaThe Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is now the second largest in history, spreading much faster than previous outbreaks, and affecting a territory larger than France. This Sunday marks one hundred days since it was declared and 2,557 people have already died. In addition, there are 5,375 confirmed cases, but it is believed that this number represents less than half of the actual cases. To this, we must add the difficulties in transferring money to the affected area to pay health personnel, the poor condition of the roads that make access complicated, the distrust of the population, and a conflict in the region that has caused the displacement of millions of people and which further exacerbates everything.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has already warned that the outbreak is on track to surpass the deadliest in history, which caused the death of 11,000 people a decade ago in West Africa. This Sunday, Pope Leo XIV has called for a response from the international community to curb the spread of the epidemic, before it is too late. But, for now, international blindness continues.
On July 30, less than three months after the epidemic was declared, the death toll from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was 1,558. At that time, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had already warned that the epidemic was causing five times more deaths than previous outbreaks. For instance, during the last outbreak that affected this same country in 2018, it took more than ten months to reach the same number of fatalities.
But in the last 23 days, the speed of spread has accelerated even further, and the death toll has increased by 40% in just over three weeks, reaching 2,557, according to data provided by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo this Saturday. Among the fatalities, there are 63 healthcare workers who were infected while treating patients.
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Ebola, Julien Harneis, described an almost apocalyptic situation this Sunday, in a video call with the Efe agency. "Last week I tried to reach a place very affected by Ebola and it took me more than three hours to travel 60 kilometers," he gave as an example to show the complexity of access to the area. To this must be added that the banking system in the affected area practically does not work, which is causing a serious liquidity problem that prevents healthcare workers from being paid.
Before the epidemic, the money provided by local banks was transported by plane from the country's capital, Kinshasa, to Bunia, the capital of the Ituri province, which is currently the epicenter of the outbreak. But with the start of the epidemic, the Congolese government ordered the suspension of all commercial flights between the two cities, which has left all banks without cash.
Mobile transactions are also not possible due to poor connectivity in the area. And the UN coordinator rules out that international organization workers are the ones to bring the money there, due to the risk they would be exposed to, and because thousands of health and community workers need to be paid. That is to say, a huge amount of money needs to be transported. Unlike previous epidemics, on this occasion it is the Kinshasa government that pays the salaries of healthcare workers. On the other hand, NGOs and other aid organizations fund those of community workers, whose function is crucial to curb the spread of the pandemic.
"The fact that we cannot bring the money there is causing great frustration among the health personnel", admitted the UN coordinator. In fact, in July the health workers in the province of Ituri went on strike, and Ebola patients went days without anyone attending to them, until the Congolese Ministry of Health committed to paying the back wages as soon as possible. But this has not happened yet.
In addition, there is the distrust of the population, which believes that Ebola is a disease imported by foreigners, and that in health centers the sick are killed, instead of trying to cure them. This means that these health centers, but also the vehicles and health personnel are often attacked.
The epidemic was declared on May 15, but the WHO estimates that the virus began to circulate in eastern the Democratic Republic of the Congo in February. Initial tests did not detect the disease, and this delayed the health response. Specifically, the epidemic affects six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, Bas-Uélé, and South Kivu. And the mortality rate is 47.6%.
The strain of Ebola that has caused the outbreak is called Bundibugyo, and for now there is no drug or vaccine that can combat it. In addition, local health authorities fear that the virus is mutating. Nevertheless, last Friday 16,520 Ervebo vaccines arrived in the country out of a total of 50,120 doses expected in the coming days. The Ervebo vaccine was originally designed against the Zaire variant of the Ebola virus, but it could be effective for the Bundibugyo one, according to tests done on animals. On the other hand, two specific vaccines have been manufactured for this strain, but human trials are still in phase one. Therefore, it will take months to be able to administer them.