Healthcare workers and aid groups in eastern Congo have warned that the Ebola outbreak is 'gaining momentum', with nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths reported. The Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no available vaccine or medicine, has spread undetected for weeks while authorities initially tested for a more common Ebola virus.
Hama Amado, field coordinator for the aid group Alima, described the situation as worrying, stating that the outbreak is spreading to many areas. He stressed that the situation is far from under control. The World Health Organization has noted low global risk but confirmed that 'patient zero' has not been found.
Although almost 20 tonnes of aid have been airlifted to Bunia, the site of the first known death, healthcare workers are using outdated facemasks and treating suspected Ebola patients in general wards due to a lack of isolation facilities. The region's already weak health infrastructure has been further weakened by international aid cuts, according to experts.
Dr Lievin Bangali, senior health coordinator for the International Rescue Committee, said communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are already under immense pressure from conflict, displacement, and a collapsing health system. He warned that years of underfunding and recent cuts to frontline health programming have weakened the ability to detect and respond to outbreaks quickly. The IRC has had to stop surveillance activities in three out of five areas in Ituri province because of funding cuts.
At a treatment centre in Rwampara, families watched as healthcare workers in protective gear disinfected and placed bodies of suspected Ebola victims into coffins. Some relatives burst into tears. The disease struck suddenly, with symptoms initially mistaken for malaria. One resident, Justin Ndasi, expressed sadness over the arrival of Ebola on top of an existing security crisis.
Doctors Without Borders identified suspected cases at a hospital in Bunia but found no available isolation ward. Every health facility called was full of suspect cases. In Bambu General Hospital, suspected Ebola patients shared wards with others. The border with Uganda remains open and gold mining continues, raising concerns about containment. At Mongbwalu General Hospital, around 30 patients were being treated for Ebola, and a student died from the virus.
