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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

DR Congo Ebola Crisis May Last a Year, Red Cross Warns

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo may last another year, according to the Red Cross.
  • The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned of a dire lack of testing capacity, making it difficult to track the epidemic's spread.
  • Gaining community trust is crucial for controlling the outbreak, as Red Cross volunteers have faced abuse, threats, and physical attacks.

The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not yet reached its peak and could persist for another year, the Red Cross warned Tuesday.

Here in Bunia, what I can see is that we did not reach the peak of the epidemic.

— Bruno MichonThe IFRC's operations manager for the Ebola outbreak described the current situation in Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Since the outbreak was declared on May 15, the DRC has confirmed 808 cases, resulting in 192 deaths. The epicenter remains in the northeastern province of Ituri, but the virus has also spread to North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, as well as neighboring Uganda, which has reported 19 cases and two deaths.

Bruno Michon, the IFRC's operations manager for the Ebola outbreak, expressed concern from Bunia, the capital of Ituri. "Here in Bunia, what I can see is that we did not reach the peak of the epidemic," he told reporters via video call. Michon added, "We are afraid that this could last one year" before the outbreak is contained.

We are afraid that this could last one year.

— Bruno MichonMichon expressed concern about the potential duration of the Ebola outbreak.

A significant challenge is the "dire lack of testing capacity," which hinders accurate tracking of the epidemic's spread. Compounding the difficulty, no approved vaccines or treatments exist for the specific strain of the virus responsible for the current outbreak.

it’s very difficult to know exactly to what extent the epidemic is spreading.

— Bruno MichonMichon highlighted the challenges posed by the lack of testing capacity.

Michon emphasized that controlling the epidemic requires more than just medical intervention. "To stop this outbreak, we need to invest not only in medical response, but also in trust, local volunteers, community engagement and operational access," he stated. He highlighted that DRC Red Cross volunteers have recently endured verbal abuse, threats, and physical attacks while performing their duties. "Trust is not a secondary activity in an Ebola response. Trust is central," Michon asserted, explaining that without it, early case detection, safe burials, family protection, and transmission control are impossible.

To stop this outbreak, we need to invest not only in medical response, but also in trust, local volunteers, community engagement and operational access.

— Bruno MichonMichon outlined the non-medical factors crucial for controlling the Ebola outbreak.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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