DR Congo: Ebola is killing people before they ever reach a doctor

More than 1,900 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak – and most of them never made it to a treatment centre. Between 60 and 70 per cent of deaths are happening in communities far from care, a gap that is now central to the World Health Organization’s response.

“The Bundibugyo virus continues to outpace us,” said Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, speaking from Bunia, the epicentre of the outbreak in eastern DRC – referring to a particularly lethal Ebola strain for which there is still no approved vaccine. “The Bundibugyo virus continues to outpace us,” Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said at a press conference, referring to the particularly lethal species of Ebola for which no approved vaccine currently exists.

Three months into the outbreak, the UN health agency intends – along with Congolese authorities and their partners – to “urgently intensify” the response because behind the heavy human toll lies a problem that has become central: too many patients are receiving treatment too late.

Understanding the numbers
Dr. Janabi recently spent three days in Bunia, capital of Ituri province – his fifth visit since the epidemic was declared there on 15 May. Alongside Dr. Steve Ahuka, one of the Congolese leaders of the response, he visited several treatment centres and met community members to understand why the death toll remains so high.

Discussions with representatives of the local transport association highlighted shortcomings in the patient transport system. According to WHO, half of the deaths observed among transported individuals are linked to the conditions of their care. “We asked ourselves why people are dying in Bunia But talking to these leaders, we understood two things,” said Dr. Janabi. “Village centres outside of Bunia, they don’t have these services. As a result, everyone comes to Bunia. Unfortunately, they come late.”

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Source: The UN