The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is slipping beyond the control of health authorities and could become the deadliest Ebola epidemic in history if current trends continue.
According to an Al Jazeera report published on Thursday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that the outbreak is on track to surpass the devastating 2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives, unless urgent measures are taken.
The outbreak, centered in eastern DR Congo, has already infected more than 4,300 people, with over 2,000 deaths reported. Health officials say it is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.
Although the epidemic was officially declared on May 15, genetic analysis indicates that the virus had been spreading since February. Scientists have identified the outbreak as being caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.
Efforts to contain the disease have been severely hampered by ongoing armed conflict in remote areas bordering South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. Many infections and fatalities are occurring in locations that remain difficult or impossible for healthcare workers to access safely.
The response has also been complicated by weak infrastructure, shortages of medical supplies, widespread misinformation, and strikes by healthcare workers demanding unpaid wages, further straining the country’s public health system.
Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO’s Director of Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the organization’s moderate projections indicate that the outbreak could reach its peak within six months. However, under a more severe scenario, the epidemic could persist for nine to twelve months, posing an even greater threat to public health.
WHO has urged the international community to strengthen support for containment efforts, warning that swift action will be critical to preventing the outbreak from evolving into the deadliest Ebola crisis ever recorded.
Source: Al Jazeera, citing the World Health Organization (WHO).