Struggle to Contain: The Ebola Battle in DRC

Efforts to control the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo show improvement but remain below expectations. The World Health Organization reports 550 confirmed cases, facing issues of mistrust and resistance, which have hampered effective contact tracing and containment measures in affected areas.

The ongoing efforts to trace contacts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amidst the Ebola outbreak have shown improvement, but progress is still lagging behind targets, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday. Currently, there are 550 confirmed Ebola cases, including 101 deaths.

The outbreak, identified as the Bundibugyo strain, was announced on May 15. However, officials later revealed that the outbreak had remained undetected for weeks, complicating control efforts. WHO reports having traced 62% of contacts, far short of the 90-95% target.

Mistrust and community resistance pose significant challenges, with recent attacks on burial teams and treatment centers. The latest attack in Bunia left two people seriously injured. Meanwhile, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted uneven contact tracing efforts, with some areas achieving 78% yet others having zero reach.