Ebola Outbreak in Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo Public Health Concerns and Crisis
The mission of public health sectors in nations across the globe is to promote the fulfillment of the interests of the society in assuring conditions in which individuals can be healthy (Schneider & Schneider, 2016). However, public health sectors in different parts of the world experience various challenges and concerns that pose threats to the health and wellbeing of populations. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an example of a country that faces a public health concern or crisis relating to the Ebola outbreak. The country has witnessed an increase in the number of Ebola cases in recent months. As such cases continue to increase, Congo’s public health sector experiences significant logistical challenges in dealing with the outbreak. This paper discusses the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo based on current area statistics.
Public Health Concerns and Crisis
Public health is an issue that continues to attract attention among different stakeholders as it continues to be the subject of many public discourses. While public health stories dominate many public conversations, it is an abstract concept that is relatively difficult to pin down. Public health professionals and other relevant stakeholders are constantly faced with the need to maintain the health and wellbeing of the population (Schneider & Schneider, 2016). However, these professionals and stakeholders face numerous challenges that hinder their effectiveness in establishing conditions in which people can be healthy. This sector is characterized by concerns and crises that threaten the health and wellbeing of the community.
Public health concerns and crisis refers to difficult or complex situations in the public health system that affect people or communities within a specific geographical area. In some cases, public health concerns or crises affect human populations on the entire planet. These concerns and crises create social inequalities in health resulting in inequitable access and low quality of care services. Public health epidemics or pandemics are health concerns or crises characterized by low healthcare services and inequitable access to care. In addition, such concerns or crises are sometimes characterized by rapid spread of the disease or illness. The rapid spread generates complexities in efforts by public health officials and other stakeholders to contain the disease or illness. The recent Ebola outbreak in western Congo is an example of a public health concern or crisis. As the number of Ebola cases continue to increase, the country faces a public health crisis given the rapid spread of this disease and limited resources to contain and mitigate it.
Ebola Outbreak in Western DRC
The total population of the Democratic Republic of Congo was 4,620,000 as of 2015 with a gross national income of $4 per capita as of 2013 (World Health Organization, 2020). Life expectancy in this country as of 2015 was 63 years for males and 66 years for females. The Democratic Republic of Congo spends approximately $323 on health per capita. Public health remains a major issue for the government given the various health problems facing the country. Governmental expenditure on public health is shaped by priority health problems, key national issues and challenges, and trends in national response. Throughout the years, this country has experienced different health problems including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
In addition to these priority health problems, Congo faces public health concerns and crises that emerge from time to time. The Ebola outbreak is a public health concern and crisis that has emerged as a major problem for this country in recent years. Ebola is a virus that causes haemorrhagic fever as is spread following direct contact with body fluids from an infected individual (Al Jazeera and News Agencies, 2020). Vomiting, diarrhea, and coughing blood are the most common symptoms of this virus. Apart from haemorrhagic fever, Ebola causes severe bleeding and organ failure that could result in death. Direct contact with an infected person is the means of transmission of the Ebola virus from one person to another. Some of the various ways in which the virus is spread include through kissing or shared drinks, touching contaminated surfaces, by animal/insect stings or bites, or by blood products like unclean needles. While numerous efforts have been made to help fight this disease, the number of cases has increased over the past few years.
The recent outbreak of the virus is the 11th Ebola virus outbreak that DRC has had to contend with over the past few years. The first Ebola outbreak in this country was identified and characterized by scientists in 1976. Since then, the country has experienced an outbreak of this virus from time to time. The second-largest Ebola outbreak in Congo was declared over by the World Health Organization on June 25, 2020. It lasted for nearly two years and was challenging to contain because it occurred in an active conflict zone. This second-largest outbreak affected 3481 people out of which 2299 died and 1162 survived (World Health Organization, 2020). During this period, the World Health Organization worked with different stakeholders and partners in vaccinating more than 303,000 people as well as undertaking other public health measures to stop the spread of the virus.
According to the World Health Organization (2020), the number of Ebola cases in the ongoing outbreak has increased, particularly in western DRC. As of August 2020, the number of cases increased by nearly two-fold to reach 100 in slightly over five weeks. The first case of the ongoing latest Ebola outbreak occurred in Mbandaka on June 1, 2020. Mbandaka is a city on the River Congo with a population of approximately 1 million people. This latest outbreak was declared before the end of the previous one in the East. After the first case was reported, the virus spread to other places in the region including remote villages in Equateur province, which is characterized by dense forest with few roads spanning over 300km. Even though the number of infections in the latest outbreak is low, the pace of the spread is relatively consistent as shown in case data (Reuters, 2020).
Case data shows that the latest Ebola outbreak has spread to 11 of the 17 health zones in the province. In slightly more than five weeks since the first case was reported, nearly 100 people have been infected by the virus. 96 of these cases are confirmed whereas four of them are probable while 43 people have died. This implies that 100 cases of the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak have been reported in less than 100 days. Consequently, relevant public health officials and stakeholders are concerned that this outbreak is evolving rapidly.
Challenges in Containing the Virus
The World Health Organization, DRC’s Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders or partners have been working together to contain this latest outbreak. These partners have adopted concerted efforts to help contain the virus in a successful and rapid manner based on lessons learned from the previous outbreak. Some of the measures that helped to halt the previous outbreak in North Kivu, Ituri include training of health workers, testing 220,000 samples, registering 250,000 contacts, vaccinating people, providing care to survivors after recovery, and providing patients with impartial access to innovative therapeutics. Additionally, engagement and leadership played an important role in preventing the global spread of the previous Ebola virus outbreak.
Despite working together to prevent further spread of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in western DRC, these stakeholders are faced with numerous challenges. One of the challenges affecting their efforts is the geography of this region. As previously indicated, the latest outbreak is in a province with dense forests and few roads. Therefore, public health officials take days to reach affected populations as responders and supplies have to navigate a complex, traverse terrain without roads. Responders, supplies, and public health officials are forced to contend with long periods of river boat travel. These delays imply that Ebola is spread across an expansive and rugged terrain.
Secondly, Ebola virus containment measures in western Congo are affected by high costs of intervention. Given the terrain of this region, costly interventions are required to combat the spread of the virus. This is a significant challenge given that the country has limited resources since it’s one of the poorest countries in the world whose public health resources have been drained by COVID-19. The limited resources make it difficult for these stakeholders to scale-up their operations. Third, current containment measures are significantly underfunded and affected by numerous logistical challenges. Additional funding is required to help support the teams on the ground and scale-up preparedness and readiness activities.
In conclusion, public health concerns or crises refers to difficult or complex situations that affect people or communities in a particular geographical area or across the globe. Countries across the globe invest in their public health systems to help enhance the health and wellbeing of their populations. However, public health concerns or crises emerge from time to time despite huge investments in the health sector. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an example of a country experiencing a public health concern or crisis brought by an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the west. Since the first case was reported on June 1, 2020, more than 100 new infections have been reported in less than five weeks. Public health officials and partners are concerned that the virus is evolving in a concerning way while numerous challenges affect containment efforts.
References
Al Jazeera and News Agencies. (2020, July 14). ‘Great Concern’ as New Ebola Outbreak Grows in Western DR Congo. Al Jazeera. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/concern-ebola-outbreak-grows-western-dr-congo-200714034610314.html
Reuters. (2020, August 22). Ebola Outbreak in Western DR Congo Hits 100 Cases. CGTN Africa. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/08/22/ebola-outbreak-in-western-dr-congo-hits-100-cases/
Schneider, M. & Schneider, H.S. (2016). Introduction to public health (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
World Health Organization. (2020). Congo – Country Profile. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.afro.who.int/fr/countries/congo
World Health Organization. (2020, August 21). Ebola Outbreak in Western Democratic Republic of the Congo Reaches 100 Cases. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.afro.who.int/news/ebola-outbreak-western-democratic-republic-congo-reaches-100-cases
World Health Organization. (2020, July 3). Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – North Kivu, Ituri 2018 – 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ebola/drc-2019