The death toll from the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda has crossed 600, with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warning that the virus continues to outpace response efforts….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday called for sustained international support to combat the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda, as the death toll from the disease surpassed 600 and infections continued to rise.
According to the latest figures released by the African Union’s continental public health agency, the two countries have recorded a combined 1,779 confirmed Ebola cases and 602 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of around 34 per cent. A total of 302 patients have recovered from the disease.
During an online media briefing, Wessam Mankoula, operations manager for the Ebola response at Africa CDC, said Congo had reported 353 confirmed cases over the past week, reflecting a 25 per cent increase in the country’s caseload, according to Xinhua news agency.
“We continue facing the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever on the continent,” Mankoula said.
“The outbreak is still growing and evolving. Unfortunately, the virus is still ahead of our response.”
Africa CDC data indicated that transmission remains high in Congo, with every 10 infected individuals transmitting the virus to nearly 14 additional people as the outbreak expands.
Health officials also highlighted several challenges affecting the response, including funding shortages, insufficient capacity to conduct safe burials and infections among frontline healthcare workers.
According to Africa CDC, 112 healthcare workers have contracted the virus in Congo since the outbreak began, while 35 have died.
Despite the challenges, officials reported progress in several areas of the response. Laboratory testing capacity has increased significantly and is now capable of processing more than 2,000 tests each day.
The agency also described the recent launch of clinical trials of therapeutics targeting the Bundibugyo Ebola strain as a significant milestone, noting that there are currently no licensed vaccines or targeted medical countermeasures available for this particular strain of the virus.
In contrast to the situation in Congo, Africa CDC said Uganda had made significant progress in containing its outbreak.
Officials reported that Uganda currently has only one admitted Ebola patient, with the last confirmed case having been recorded on June 21.
“Uganda is demonstrating that Ebola can be controlled. They are able to control the outbreak quickly, and the situation is totally under control at this stage,” Mankoula said.
The Africa CDC declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of continental security on May 18, one day after the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated it a public health emergency of international concern.
Although Congo and Uganda remain the only countries with confirmed outbreaks, Africa CDC has identified 11 other African nations as being at high risk because of their geographical proximity or cross-border links.
The countries designated as high risk are South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Congo, Burundi and Somalia.
Africa CDC said continued international cooperation, financial support and strengthened public health measures would be essential to containing the outbreak and preventing its spread to other parts of the continent.
