Key facts
- The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is outpacing contact tracing efforts.
- Between 60% and 70% of new Ebola cases are being found among individuals not previously monitored.
- The outbreak has resulted in over 2,200 deaths out of more than 4,700 cases.
- Health workers are facing challenges including long hours, lack of protective equipment, and delayed or inadequate pay.
- Insecurity from rebel groups and population displacement further complicates the response.
- Additional emergency funding of $30.5 million has been announced.
Health workers in eastern Congo are struggling to contain a rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak, with the virus outpacing surveillance and contact tracing efforts. Community health workers, like Gédéon Banga Ngbape, are working long hours under difficult conditions, often without adequate protective equipment or timely pay, to identify and monitor potential cases.
The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, has already claimed over 2,200 lives out of more than 4,700 cases, a rate significantly faster than the 2014-16 West Africa outbreak. The effectiveness of the response is hampered by a surveillance system where a large percentage of new infections are discovered among individuals not previously being tracked, indicating the virus is spreading undetected.
Challenges are compounded by insecurity from rebel groups, population displacement due to conflict and mining, and misinformation. Some health workers have gone on strike due to unpaid salaries, with the Africa CDC calling on the government to disburse available funds. Community health workers report receiving low pay, which they deem inadequate for the risks involved.
Despite these obstacles, additional emergency funding of $30.5 million has been announced by the U.N. humanitarian chief to bolster the response efforts.