The Ebola virus is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reaching a sixth province. In Kinshasa, a city of 19 million, fears of a serious health crisis are growing as hospitals scramble to prepare for a potential outbreak.
Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Director General of the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), told DW that facilities are ready for a public health alert. "If there is a suspected case, the epidemiological services and the INRB laboratory are ready to quickly identify and confirm cases," he said.
The Ministry of Health has designated Cinquantenaire Hospital to admit and fully isolate patients if necessary. However, the virus has been spreading faster than health authorities can contain it. This outbreak is driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment has yet been approved.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak could surpass the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016, which killed 11,000 people. The current crisis has already claimed 2,000 lives, with more than 4,300 cases recorded since the official announcement on May 15.
The WHO expects the outbreak to peak in six months. Initial infections trace back to February, with the epicenter in the northeastern province of Ituri, plagued by insecurity and a large number of internally displaced persons. Many cases have also been reported in North and South Kivu, where authorities have effectively lost control over entire areas in their conflict with M23 rebels.
Fear among the population is growing daily. A week ago, a boat was stopped at the port of Maluku, 65 km from Kinshasa, after a passenger with Ebola symptoms died. Over 200 passengers were isolated, but tests came back negative. However, with daily movement between cities, the threat remains.
The rapid spread is attributed to large-scale population movements and ongoing violence in affected areas. Capacity remains a major challenge for Kinshasa. Cinquantenaire Hospital coordinator Christian Ngandu said 20 beds are ready, expandable to 200-250, but the WHO says several thousand beds would be needed in a worst-case scenario.
Carlos Mupili, president of the Supreme Council of Civil Society, criticized the preparations: "Twenty beds are insignificant in this city, and a single hospital is not enough. Several health facilities should have been mobilized to prevent the outbreak effectively," he told DW.
WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus warned that an unexpected surge in infections could occur anywhere, as contact-tracing has been slow. He expressed concern that many people dying from the virus have not been registered on official Ebola contact lists before being buried, with many infections originating from funerals.
Scientists are scrambling to find a cure, with clinical trials of two antiviral treatments underway and vaccine work in progress. No mutations of the virus have been observed in the current outbreak, according to WHO chief scientist Sylvie Briand, offering a small source of hope.
Source: www.dw.com