Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo - Ebola Is Killing People Before They Ever Reach a Doctor

What the report says

More than 1,900 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak, with the World Health Organization saying many victims are reaching care too late or not reaching a treatment centre at all. According to the UN News report distributed by AllAfrica, about 60% to 70% of deaths are occurring in communities away from medical facilities, a pattern that has become a major focus of the response.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Mohamed Janabi discussed the situation in Bunia, in eastern DRC’s Ituri province, which he described as the outbreak’s epicentre. He said the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine, is moving faster than responders can keep up. The agency is working with Congolese authorities and partners to intensify efforts after three months of outbreak response.

The report says WHO has identified several problems behind the high death toll, including long travel distances to care, weak transport systems and delays in referring suspected cases to Ebola treatment centres. In some cases, patients are first taken home, which can increase the risk of further transmission if deaths occur there and bodies are moved back to villages.

WHO is now pushing for a more community-based approach, including more treatment capacity outside Bunia, stronger public awareness and better coordination with local transport and market groups. The article points to Aru, also in Ituri, as an example where no new cases were recorded for two weeks after contact tracing, community outreach and local health services were expanded.