The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the Ebola\noutbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a\n\u2018public health emergency of international concern\u2019 (PHEIC). This global\nemergency status was declared after the outbreak claimed the lives of\nnearly 90 people and began spreading across borders in the East African\nregion. The latest outbreak originated in the Ituri Province in eastern\nDRC and is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, an Ebola variant for\nwhich there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.<\/p>\n
\u2018After consulting with the DRC and Uganda, where the Ebola disease\ncaused by the Bundibugyo virus is known to be occurring, I have declared\nthe epidemic to be a public health emergency of international concern\n(PHEIC), as defined in the IHR provisions,\u2019 stated WHO Director-General\nTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as reported by Al Jazeera on Monday.<\/p>\n
Health authorities have noted a high risk of regional spread, as\ncases have been detected in Uganda and several patients related to the\noutbreak have been found in the Congolese capital, Kinshala. However,\nthe WHO has not yet classified the situation as a global pandemic, as it\ndoes not yet meet the highest criteria.<\/p>\n
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)\nreported that as of Saturday, there were 88 deaths and 336 suspected\nEbola cases. The outbreak was first detected in Mongwalu, a densely\npopulated mining area in Ituri near the borders of Uganda and South\nSudan. The first patient was identified as a nurse who arrived at a\nhealth facility in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, on 24 April presenting\nwith Ebola-like symptoms. Subsequently, several patients travelled out\nof the region seeking treatment, thereby expanding the spread of the\ndisease.<\/p>\n
In Uganda, the government reported two laboratory-confirmed cases\nlinked to travellers from the DRC, including one patient who died in the\ncapital, Kampala. The humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders\n(MSF) warned that the rapid surge in cases and deaths is deeply\nconcerning. Poor security conditions and limited access to healthcare\nservices in Ituri are expected to complicate outbreak management\nefforts.<\/p>\n
Ebola is a deadly viral disease first discovered in 1976 near the\nEbola River in what is now the DRC. The virus is believed to originate\nfrom wild animals, particularly bats, before transmitting to humans.\nTransmission occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids such as\nblood, vomit, semen, or contaminated objects, including clothing and\nbedding. A person becomes infectious only after symptoms appear.\nSymptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain, extreme\nweakness, and in severe cases, internal or external bleeding. The\nincubation period ranges from two to 21 days.<\/p>\n
DRC Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba stated that the Bundibugyo\nstrain has a very high fatality rate of up to 50%. He emphasised that no\nspecific vaccine or therapy is currently available for this variant.<\/p>\n
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that\nneighbouring countries are at high risk due to ongoing population\nmobility, trade activities, and cross-border travel. The WHO has urged\ncountries in the region to immediately activate health emergency\nsystems, tighten border inspections, and isolate confirmed patients as\nquickly as possible. Close contacts of patients should be monitored\ndaily, and those exposed are advised not to travel abroad for 21 days.\nHowever, the WHO cautioned countries against closing borders, as travel\nrestrictions could trigger illegal crossings that are difficult to\nmonitor and could worsen outbreak control.<\/p>\n
The DRC has recorded at least 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was\nfirst discovered in 1976. The largest outbreak occurred between 2018 and\n2020, killing nearly 2,300 people. Overall, Ebola has killed\napproximately 15,000 people since its discovery, almost all of whom were\nin Africa. The WHO also warned that armed conflict in eastern DRC could\npose a major challenge to managing the outbreak, as the mineral-rich\nregion has been plagued for decades by conflicts involving armed groups\nfighting for control of mining territories.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/who-declares-global-ebola-emergency-as-death-toll-reaches-88-1780920535", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }