WHO Rushes Aid to Stop New Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo’s Kasai Province
The World Health Organization (WHO) is ramping up its fight against a fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Just days after the DRC declared the emergency in Kasai Province on September 4, WHO teams sprang into action to contain the deadly virus and protect lives.
In under 48 hours, WHO airlifted a whopping 12 tonnes of essential supplies to the region. This included personal protective equipment for health workers, materials for isolating patients, and kits for clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. These items are crucial for frontline care and keeping Ebola at bay. More shipments are on the way to bolster the response efforts.
"The affected areas are tough to access, but we’re working non-stop to deploy quick measures," said Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s regional director for Africa. "Our goal is strong control to prevent the virus from spreading further and save as many lives as possible."
On Sunday, health teams in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital, got vaccinated against Ebola before heading to the outbreak zone. This was possible thanks to a ready stockpile of vaccines, supported by WHO and its partners.
WHO isn’t stopping at the borders. The organization is teaming up with authorities in 10 neighboring countries to prepare for any spillover. In Tanzania, they’re boosting disease surveillance in areas close to the DRC to spot and stop potential cases fast. Over in Angola, focus is on Lunda Norte Province, right next to Kasai, to ramp up readiness and prevent the Ebola virus from crossing over.
This is the DRC’s 16th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976. It’s hitting at a tough time, with the country already battling mpox, cholera, and measles crises. WHO rates the public health risk as high in the DRC, moderate across the region, and low worldwide.
The outbreak’s heart is near Tshikapa, Kasai Province’s capital, just 100 to 200 km from Angola’s border. Right now, it’s in a remote rural spot, but constant travel between places like Bulape and Tshikapa raises fears of wider spread.
Investigators are still piecing together how the virus is transmitting and where it started. The first case’s exact onset date is unknown, and there could be undetected infections lurking, WHO warns.
Uganda, another DRC neighbor, is on high alert. Last Friday, Henry Kyobe Bosa, incident commander at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, told Xinhua that they’re watching closely. "We’ll assess risks and roll out prevention steps to block any Ebola importation," he said.
The DRC’s last Ebola outbreak ended in September 2022, with just one case in North Kivu province linked to the massive 2018-2020 epidemic that claimed nearly 2,300 lives in North Kivu and Ituri.
Kasai Province has seen Ebola before, with outbreaks in 2007 and 2008.
For context, Ebola burst onto the scene in 1976 with two outbreaks: one from the Sudan virus in what’s now South Sudan, and another from the Ebola virus in Yambuku, DRC (then Zaire), near the Ebola River that gave the disease its name.
Ebola is a scary hemorrhagic fever that’s highly contagious. It brings symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, fatigue, and often severe internal or external bleeding. Quick action from teams like WHO’s is key to stopping it in its tracks.
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