Experts warn new Ebola outbreak could become worst in history
Shola Lawal
Experts warn the Ebola outbreak in East Africa could become the worst in history, due to the lack of a vaccine or specific treatment, escalating conflict, and a sharp decline in international funding. The Africa CDC director says contact tracing has lost track of over 26,000 people. The outbreak has spread across multiple provinces in the DRC and into Uganda.
Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), raised the alarm about the Ebola outbreak in East Africa during an online meeting with African heads of state and international donors on June 16.
According to official figures, in the epicenter of the outbreak, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 837 people have been infected and 196 have died. Neighboring Uganda has recorded 19 cases and two deaths.
Kaseya stressed: “If we do not stop the outbreak soon, it will be worse than what happened in West Africa and eastern DRC.” He referred to the 2014 West African outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people, and the 2018 DRC outbreak, which claimed over 2,000 lives.
What makes this outbreak different?
Unlike previous Ebola virus strains (Zaire, Sudan), the virus causing the current outbreak is Bundibugyo. While vaccines and experimental treatments are available for the Zaire strain, no vaccine or specific treatment has been approved for Bundibugyo.
Trish Newport, Deputy Director of the MSF Ebola program in the DRC, said: “This is not something that attracts research and development attention from pharmaceutical companies. They do not see it as a priority.” According to her, this is why the strain has not been prioritized for vaccine development.
Risks from conflict and uncontrolled spread
Eastern DRC, where the virus is rampant, is a battleground between government forces and armed groups, especially the M23 rebel group. This complicates efforts by health workers to access rebel-controlled areas and crowded refugee camps to trace the disease.
Kaseya said contact tracing is facing major difficulties: “We have lost track of more than 26,000 people, and we do not know where they are or whether they are infecting others.”
To date, the virus has spread from Ituri province to North Kivu, South Kivu, and crossed the border into Uganda. WHO officials said new cases are being detected almost daily in new areas within affected DRC provinces, reflecting community transmission.
Stigma and misinformation
Fear, stigma, and misinformation about Ebola within communities are also major barriers. Many people believe the outbreak is a government ploy to raise funds. Some refuse to report symptoms out of shame or disbelief in the disease’s existence.
In early June, angry youths broke into a hospital, burning treatment tents and other health infrastructure to try to retrieve the bodies of relatives for traditional burials.
Limited international support
Compared to the 2014 West African outbreak, international intervention this time has been much weaker. In 2014, international donors mobilized US$5.9–8.9 billion in support. This time, Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye said only one-fifth of the needed US$518 million has been raised.
The decline in resources partly stems from U.S. cuts to foreign aid and the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Donald Trump. European donors have also scaled back aid over the past year.
In the DRC, a lack of isolation centers and personal protective equipment is hindering the response. At least four health workers have died after contracting the virus.
MSF’s Newport urged: “We need to ensure people still have access to non-Ebola health services and clean water. Ebola may be a priority for donor organizations, but not necessarily for the people here, and we need to listen to them.”
