WHO Confirms End Of Latest Ebola Outbreak In Democratic Republic Of Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has declared the end of its 14th Ebola outbreak after less than three months, reported The UN News.

In a statement, the WHO said Congo reported a total of four confirmed cases of Ebola and one probable case, all of whom died. The outbreak was the third in the country’s north-west Equateur province.

There were 130 confirmed cases and 55 deaths in the previous outbreak in Equateur Province that lasted from June to November 2020.

“Thanks to the robust response by the national authorities, this outbreak has been brought to an end swiftly with limited transmission of the virus,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

According to the WHO, about 2,104 people have been vaccinated since the outbreak was declared in April this year, including 302 contacts and 1307 frontline workers.

Notably, an ultra-cold chain freezer was installed in Mbandaka to facilitate the vaccination rollout. The freezer was used to store the vaccine doses locally and safely and deliver them effectively.

“Africa is seeing an increase in Ebola and other infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans impacting large urban areas,” said Dr. Moeti.

She said that the country learned crucial lessons from past outbreaks and they have been applied to deploy an ever more effective Ebola response.

However, the WHO official stressed that the authorities need to be ever more vigilant to ensure new cases are quickly detected.

 “This outbreak response shows that by bolstering preparedness, disease surveillance and swift detection, we can stay a step ahead,” Dr. Moeti said.

Although the outbreak has been declared over in Congo’s Mbandaka, the country’s health authorities continue to maintain surveillance and are ready to respond to any flare-ups as early as possible.

The WHO cautioned that it is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following an outbreak.