With Ebola cases surging over 900 and 200 deaths recorded so far, the Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling to contain the spread of the virus. Also, the health authorities are facing disruptions in response due to the violence.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, more than 900 cases have been identified so far in the DRC and Ituri province is the epicentre of the outbreak.
"The violence is forcing people to flee, including health and humanitarian workers. This is severely impeding efforts to scale up Ebola contact tracing and identify infections early enough to provide supportive care," he said in a post on X.
Two Ebola treatment centres in eastern Congo were attacked by a mob after health officials refused to retrieve the bodies of individuals suspected to have died from the virus. In Mongbwalu, 18 patients went missing during the clash between family members and health officials. Isolation wards were set on fire by the angry mob.
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He stressed that delivering a comprehensive package of healthcare services is essential.
Meanwhile, countries are taking precautionary measures as the cases are rising in DRC and Uganda. The United States have activated enhanced travel restrictions, including public health assessments for arriving passengers.
India has issued travel advisories to those coming from the virus-hit countries, including Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.
Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday declared an alert in view of the spread of the virus in several African countries. The state health authorities have started to screen passengers arriving from the Ebola-affected countries.
State Minister for Medical and Health, Satyakumar Yadav, said that the severity of the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is escalating day by day. In order to tackle the situation, the minister announced that measures are being taken to ensure close coordination between airport authorities and the Medical and Health Department officials of the respective districts.
The individuals showing symptoms of the virus would be immediately placed under quarantine, and medical examinations would be promptly conducted on those who have been in close contact with them.
Yadav also added that he is in touch with the officials at the Visakhapatnam Port, and appropriate precautionary measures are in place.
According to the minister, the personnel across all levels of the Medical and Health Department- ranging from ANMs and ASHA workers upwards—are being alerted through virtual meetings.
The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda was termed a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO on May 16.
The average Ebola disease case fatality is around 50 per cent.