The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in eastern Africa could become the 'worst ever' in history, warned Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Kaseya sounded the alarm on Tuesday during a virtual meeting of African heads of state and international donors in Burundi. At least 837 people have been infected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicenter, with 196 deaths. Neighboring Uganda has reported 19 cases and 2 deaths.

'If we don’t stop the outbreak very soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC,' Kaseya said, referring to the 2014 West Africa outbreak (over 11,000 deaths) and the 2018 DRC outbreak (over 2,000 deaths).

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. This rare strain has been neglected by pharmaceutical companies, according to Trish Newport of Doctors Without Borders (MSF). 'It’s not something that attracts the attention of research and development,' she said.

The outbreak is compounded by ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, where armed groups like M23 battle government forces, hampering health workers' ability to trace the virus and provide care. Kaseya noted that over 26,000 contacts are untraced, potentially spreading the disease.

The virus has spread from Ituri province to North and South Kivu, and into Uganda. WHO officials report 'near-daily' detection of cases in new areas, indicating widespread community transmission.

Stigma and misinformation are major hurdles. Many locals believe Ebola is a government scheme to siphon funds. In early June, angry youths stormed a hospital, burning treatment tents and medical infrastructure.

International funding is critically low. Burundi's President Ndayishimiye stated only one-fifth of the needed $518 million has been raised. US aid cuts and the closure of USAID have further weakened the response.

Source: www.aljazeera.com