Ebola outbreak in Congo remains out of control six months in

Congo’s Ebola outbreak remains out of control six months after it was declared, with efforts to contain it faltering.

More than 11,000 cases have been recorded, and nearly half of those infected have died, according to government data. It is the deadliest of Congo’s 17 outbreaks.

Basic containment measures, including contact tracing and isolation, remain inadequate, raising doubts about authorities’ ability to halt the outbreak. Experts say there is little chance of bringing it under control within the next year.

By the time the outbreak was announced in mid-May, 43 deaths had already been recorded, suggesting the virus had circulated undetected for an extended period. It has since spread to eight of the country’s 26 provinces.

Community transmission remains high. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of new cases are being detected outside health surveillance, meaning most infections have not been tracked by authorities.

One-third of deaths occur at home or elsewhere in the community, where burials and other procedures are often conducted without specialist supervision, increasing the risk of transmission.

Health workers have repeatedly gone on strike over pay that is months overdue, sometimes leaving patients with confirmed infections without treatment.

Last month, the Africa CDC raised concerns about more than $700 million in Ebola aid that remains unaccounted for.

“A troubling disconnect between the considerable resources mobilised for the response and what is actually reaching patients, frontline workers, and communities continues,” said the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF.

According to UNICEF, children accounted for 35% of deaths recorded through Nov. 4. Children under 5 accounted for 21% of all deaths, and nearly 72% of infected children in that age group have died.

Since the outbreak began, health workers have been attacked, some fatally, adding to the dangers of working in an already volatile region. Health facilities have also come under attack.

The outbreak has been concentrated in eastern Congo, particularly Ituri and North Kivu, where communities face both the epidemic and armed conflict. Fighting between government forces and hundreds of rebel groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, had already helped create one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic State-affiliated rebel group, also attacks civilians.

Sources

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