By Ricardo Luiz
The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 11,000 cases. As of Wednesday, November 11, the country has recorded 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Congolese National Institute of Public Health. It is the most serious Ebola epidemic ever recorded in the country, and the worst may not be over.
The numbers are alarming, but the delay is what weighs most. The outbreak was declared in mid-May, and the official announcement came only months later.
Ebola outbreak spreads across eastern Congo and borders
The main focus of the outbreak is in the east of the country, a region hit by clashes between armed groups and the Army. In other words, the health response has to work in territory where security itself is in dispute.
Cases have also appeared in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria, which raises fears that the disease will keep crossing borders. Ebola is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and causes a severe hemorrhagic fever.
Why it matters: a comparison with the 2018-2020 outbreak
Between 2018 and 2020, Congo recorded almost 2,300 deaths among a total of 3,500 patients. That toll was already considered high, but it is far below the current picture of 5,387 deaths and 11,042 infections.
Ebola vaccine under study, urgent appeal from Doctors Without Borders
In October, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the start of a clinical trial in the region to check the effectiveness of the Ervebo vaccine. For now, however, the vaccine is approved only for the Zaire strain of Ebola.
On Monday, the aid group Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) called for access to the vaccine to be expanded urgently. The organization wants to protect people at risk as cases and deaths escalate in the African country.
With cases in four countries and a vaccine still limited to one strain, the problem is no longer just Congolese. It has become a challenge for the whole region.
VDD Analysis
The gap between the declaration of the outbreak in May and the official announcement months later is the point that should set off alarms in any government. In epidemics, transparency and speed save lives. This episode reinforces the importance of prepared, efficient health systems with responsible management of public resources.
