Over 2,500 individuals have lost their lives in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is rapidly expanding in an area larger than France, according to senior United Nations Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis, who spoke on Friday.
During a video conference from Bunia, a city in northeastern Congo, Harneis urged for increased assistance, highlighting that the current funding is expected to deplete within weeks.
He also noted that health workers in the region are facing aggression from locals who are both frightened and enraged by the outbreak, and many of these workers have themselves contracted and succumbed to the disease.
Vaccine for different strain sent for late-stage trial
This tragic milestone coincides with the shipment of doses of a vaccine designed for a previous strain of Ebola, which the D.R.C. requested from the global stockpile of Ebola virus disease vaccines last week.
The vaccine, named Ervebo, is authorized to prevent illness caused by the more prevalent Zaire strain of Ebola. Out of 70,000 doses allocated, 20,000 will be utilized in a late-stage trial to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness against the current Bundibugyo virus.
The World Health Organization indicated, “It is uncertain whether Ervebo may provide protection against the Bundibugyo virus in humans,” emphasizing the necessity of clinical trials to gather new data.
‘Fear translated into angry young men’
The D.R.C.’s 17th Ebola epidemic, which began in late July, has become the largest in the nation’s history in terms of case numbers, exceeding the previous record set between 2018 and 2020.
This outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which currently lacks approved vaccines or treatments.
“The Ebola crisis is escalating rapidly,” Harneis remarked. “The epidemic is extending into an area larger than France, and its growth is outpacing the response efforts. This is occurring in a region that has endured three decades of conflict, leading to significant humanitarian needs.”
There are 4,400 known cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Officials say there are far more cases that haven’t been recorded. While trials for a vaccine are underway, it’s not ready yet — and as Congo is a central country in Africa, there are concerns the outbreak could spread beyond its borders.
Approximately 160 healthcare workers have contracted Ebola, with 43 fatalities among them, he noted.
“Moreover, when we attempt to respond, in addition to the risks posed by the virus, healthcare personnel and frontline workers have faced attacks from young people, ambulances have been set ablaze and stoned, and healthcare facilities have been assaulted,” he stated.
“Fear manifests as anger among young individuals who begin throwing stones at their object of fear, the ambulance,” he continued.
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Other aid workers have reported that local residents believe conspiracy theories claiming the outbreak is fabricated, leading to hostile reactions when health protocols prevent them from personally attending to the burial of their deceased relatives.
In the last six months, there have been over 260 assaults on healthcare workers, and eight have been killed, according to Harneis, who expressed concern, “which is clearly alarming because individuals are already putting their lives at risk to combat Ebola.”
He pointed out that recent cuts to aid have diminished the capabilities of humanitarian organizations.
Additionally, he mentioned the challenge of compensating the tens of thousands involved in the response, noting that banking services have been affected since the government suspended commercial flights, disrupting cash deliveries to banks.