DRC launches "Fleuve Congo Sans Ebola" initiative to boost river corridor surveillance

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a new initiative, "Fleuve Congo Sans Ebola," aimed at bolstering surveillance and response efforts against Ebola and other potential epidemic diseases. The project focuses on the crucial river corridor connecting Kisangani to the capital, Kinshasa.

The initiative was launched in Kinshasa by the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Prevention, in collaboration with various national and international partners. It comes at a time when the eastern and northeastern regions of the DRC are grappling with an ongoing Ebola epidemic.

Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) and head of the One Health Institute for Africa, proposed establishing a medical surveillance system directly aboard boats. This system would involve having a medical professional, such as a nurse, on each vessel to identify potential syndromes and promptly report suspected cases. Muyembe envisions these onboard medical services functioning as "floating laboratories."

The proposed surveillance system would employ syndromic surveillance, enabling the detection of various symptoms associated with diseases like respiratory infections (influenza, COVID-19, RSV, tuberculosis) and febrile illnesses (malaria, bacteremia, typhoid fever).

"Fleuve Congo Sans Ebola" is a multisectoral effort led by the Congolese government with support from organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The initiative seeks to strengthen surveillance, preparedness, and response at community, port, and institutional levels to prevent the spread of diseases, including the Bundibugyo virus, along the Congo River.

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floating laboratories