Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to fight an Ebola outbreak that was first spotted in May, posing a significant health threat across five eastern provinces in Africa’s second largest country as well as throughout the region.
Though DRC has seen Ebola outbreaks before—this is the 17th confirmed outbreak in the country—the ongoing Ebola outbreak is now the second deadliest ever recorded globally. Caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, discovered in 2007 and known to have about a 30 percent fatality rate, this outbreak is causing deaths faster than any ever recorded.
With no approved vaccine or treatment, addressing this health threat means quickly identifying and isolating those who have been exposed.
“CDC’s country office staff and teams deployed in both the DRC and Uganda are working side by side with ministries of health, international partners and other U.S. government agencies to respond now,” said Dr. Delayo Zomahoun, CDC country director in the DRC. “That means working to increase case finding, contact tracing and case isolation, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, border health and community engagement.”
Health officials combatting the outbreak are facing particular challenges. Remote northeastern DRC is embroiled in an ongoing regional conflict, and limited public health systems and frequent cross-border population movement from neighboring Uganda are adding complexity to the response. Health teams have also reported facing shortages of personal protective equipment, delays in transporting laboratory specimens, insufficient contact tracing, limited diagnostic testing, lack of trust in authorities and inaccurate information.
“We encourage people to seek help and care as early as possible to save lives,” Dr. Zomahoun said. “Even under these conditions, partners and implementing teams are showing up every day, identifying cases, conducting laboratory testing, tracing contacts, strengthening infection prevention and control, helping provide safe and dignified burials, working closely with communities to reduce transmission and training others to do the same.”
To address urgent gaps in the response, the CDC Foundation activated its Emergency Response Fund in June. The fund allows the CDC Foundation to extend response efforts in coordination with CDC and partners to ensure augmentation—not duplication—of public health resources. Funding will support a variety of critical activities and equipment, with the goal of controlling transmission and checking the spread of the virus.
“An emergency response on this scale requires quick action and resources,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “In DRC, response teams need essential staff like epidemiologists and contact tracers, and vehicles and equipment to do their work effectively. To contain the spread of the outbreak, educating people on how to stay safe and what to do if they do become infected is critical.”
This outbreak again emphasizes that health threats in one part of the world can impact people across the globe.
“Diseases do not respect borders,” Dr. Zomahoun said. “Recent cases in Uganda and France remind us how interconnected our countries are and why cross-border coordination must be part of each aspect of this response.”
As the Ebola response remains ongoing, health officials are calling on their experiences in containing previous outbreaks, most notably the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that ultimately infected more than 28,500 people and took the lives of more than 11,300. That response demonstrated the pivotal role philanthropy can play during global health emergencies—helping mobilize critical resources, strengthen community engagement, support frontline response efforts and ultimately prevent the disease from spreading further across the region.
“When Ebola threatened millions in 2014, philanthropy helped turn the tide,” Dr. Monroe said. “Together we can do it again.”
With more than 4,209 confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo outbreak reported by August 11, the outbreak taking place now in Congo shows no sign of slowing. CDC and its partners know the steps required to contain the current outbreak, but once again, flexible philanthropic support—alongside government funding—will be critical to ensuring response teams have the resources needed to act quickly and effectively.
“What we are seeing reinforces what we’ve learned from previous Ebola responses. Rapid detection, strong surveillance, laboratory capacity, and close coordination with communities and partners will allow us to save lives,” Dr. Zomahoun said. “No single organization can do this alone.”
Donor support is critical to stopping the transmission of Ebola and preventing the current mounting outbreak from spreading further. Flexible philanthropic funding enables response teams to move quickly, close critical resource gaps and adapt to changing conditions on the ground. As so many did during the 2014-2016 Ebola response, it’s vital individuals, corporations and foundations join again with the CDC Foundation in supporting the efforts needed to contain this outbreak and protect and save lives.
Learn more about how your partnership with the CDC Foundation helps deliver critical resources and support to contain the Ebola outbreak.
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