WHO calls for response scale-up as DRC Ebola cases hit record high

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus is spreading at an alarming rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the country recording its highest weekly caseload since the outbreak began, prompting the World Health Organization to call for a major scale-up of response efforts.

The outbreak has grown into the largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded in the country.

According to figures released by DRC's Ministry of Health the country had recorded 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 deaths as of Saturday.

The latest caseload surpasses the country's previous largest Ebola outbreak, which occurred between 2018 and 2020 and resulted in 3,317 confirmed cases, according to WHO.

A total of 690 patients were in isolation or hospitalized, while 708 people had recovered since the outbreak began. The case fatality rate stood at 44.2 percent, while contact tracing coverage had reached 80.1 percent.

Speaking during an Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention media briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned that mounting operational challenges continue to undermine efforts to contain the outbreak, saying community mistrust has become one of the biggest obstacles to the response.

"We need to rethink the way to work with the community if we really want to stop this outbreak," Kaseya said. "There is no magical solution unless we really work with communities."

He said the outbreak would remain difficult to control unless community leaders are enlisted to help prevent attacks on healthcare workers, ensure safe burials for Ebola victims and encourage people who have been exposed to the virus to come forward for monitoring.

Kaseya cited limited contact tracing, rising community infections and deaths, inadequate treatment bed capacity, persistent funding shortages, insecurity, unsafe burial practices and infections among healthcare workers among the major constraints slowing the response.

WHO echoed those concerns saying "the continued increase in cases, expanding geographic spread, and persistently high mortality underscore the rapidly evolving nature of this public health emergency."

The UN health agency said the outbreak has spread from the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri province to 49 health zones across five provinces — Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo.

It reported 567 new cases and 296 deaths during the latest epidemiological week, the highest weekly totals since the outbreak began, highlighting what it described as the "exceptional pace of transmission."

WHO warned that "the convergence of insecurity, population displacement and mobility, and cross-border movements complicate response operations and increase the risk of further geographical spread," adding that although the DRC government, WHO and partners continue to implement extensive response measures, "a substantial scaling up of response activities is needed to get ahead of the outbreak."

Despite the challenges, Kaseya said important progress has been made in strengthening laboratory capacity.

Nineteen laboratories are now conducting Ebola testing, up from only two at the start of the outbreak, while daily testing capacity has surpassed 3,000 samples.

The Africa CDC also commended Uganda for successfully containing its Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. Uganda's Ministry of Health declared the outbreak over on July 28, with WHO supporting the declaration after the country completed 42 days without a new locally transmitted case.

However, the agency cautioned that Uganda remains at risk of imported infections because of ongoing transmission in the neighbouring DRC and urged countries in the region to maintain heightened surveillance and preparedness.