WHO battles Ebola outbreak in African state
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) with an Ebola vaccination campaign in Kasai Province. The effort is centered in the Bulape health zone, one of the outbreak hotspots.
An initial 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine were delivered from a national stockpile in Kinshasa, with more shipments expected in the coming days, the WHO reported on Sunday. The vaccinations are being carried out using a ring strategy, targeting people who have been in contact with confirmed cases, as well as health workers at risk of exposure.
This marks the country’s 16th Ebola outbreak since 1976, with 28 deaths recorded so far and 16 of them occurring just this month.
“The case fatality rate is estimated at 57%, although investigations and laboratory analyses are continuing to refine the situation,” the Congolese Health Ministry stated.
The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved around 45,000 additional Ebola vaccine doses to be shipped to DR Congo as part of the ongoing outbreak response, according to the WHO. In addition to vaccines, the health organization has deployed 48 experts to support disease surveillance, clinical care, infection control, and logistics.
The organization currently assesses the public health risk from the outbreak as “high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level,” with neighboring countries stepping up readiness measures to detect potential cross-border cases.
Ebola, a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever, is spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or tissue. Symptoms often include high fever, fatigue, headaches, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, and internal or external bleeding.
Earlier this year, Uganda declared a new Ebola outbreak after a 32-year-old nurse died of multiple organ failure. The WHO reported 14 cases with four deaths.
