Congolese Ebola Outbreak: has the WHO learned its lesson?
Over 4000 doses of Ebola vaccines are being deployed in a rapid response to the outbreak.
Statistics:
- Over 40 cases reported
- Ebola is 50%-90% deadly if left untreated
What Happened?
It’s been two years since the deadly West African Ebola epidemic ended, but recent developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo have caused World Health Organization officials to worry about another potential regional epidemic. As of writing, over 40 Ebola cases have been reported since April, with over half resulting in death.
Ebola is a deadly infectious disease that has ravaged western Africa many times, most recently from 2014 to 2016. Though Ebola is not extremely contagious, it can spread through direct bodily contact. No cure is available yet, but vaccines and treatments are possibilities for cures.
The current outbreak has been traced to the remote town of Bikoro, in northwestern Congo. However, the outbreak has spread to the nearby port city of Mbandaka, where one case has been confirmed among its 1.2 million residents. In such a dense city environment, Ebola can easily spread and thrive.
What’s more worrying is that Ebola could be carried aboard cargo ships and spread downstream along the Congo River to Kinshasa, a West African megacity of over 10 million people, which could trigger another region-wide Ebola outbreak.
World Health Organisation officials are quick to respond after their failures in 2014. Already, 4000 doses a new vaccine have been delivered to Congo. However, the vaccines must be stored at -80 degrees Celsius, no easy feat in a developing tropical nation like Congo. Plans are being made to vaccinate individuals most at risk, such as healthcare workers.
If the WHO has gained any experience from the last outbreak, it’s to not waste any time in stopping Ebola’s spread. If not contained, West Africa could suffer an outbreak just like the one two years prior.
Works Cited
Beaubien, Jason. WHO And Congolese Officials Scramble To Contain Ebola Outbreak : NPR. 18 May 2018. 24 May 2018.
Fox, Maggie. What is Ebola? The new outbreak in Congo explained. 18 May 2018. 24 May 2018.
Ligodi, Patient and Benoit Nyemba. Congo and WHO race to prevent runaway Ebola outbreak | Reuters. 17 May 2018. 24 May 2018.
McKirdy, Euan and Meera Senthilingham. Ebola outbreak spreads to large city in Congo – CNN. 17 May 2018. 24 May 2018.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/congo-reports-ebola-cases-outbreak-continues/story?id=25115041
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/World-Health-Organisation