The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a health emergency of “international concern.”
Health officials cited the spread of Ebola to Goma, a densely populated city of 2 million people, and the virus’s continued transmission throughout the region for the Wednesday decision. Goma, a port city that borders Rwanda, is just south Beni, which has been identified as the epicenter of the outbreak.
“It is time for the world to take notice and redouble our efforts,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “We need to work together is solidarity with the DRC to end this outbreak and build a better health system.”
So far, one case of Ebola has been reported in Goma. The patient, who traveled to Goma from Beni, died at an Ebola treatment center last week. According to the World Health Organization, response to the case took place within 72 hours. Health workers vaccinated 75 contacts and are continuing to monitor co-travelers and family members of the patient.
“Our risk assessment remains that the risk of Ebola spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region remains very high, and the risk of spread outside the region remains low,” Dr. Tedros said.
Though the risk of transmission remains high throughout the region, health officials are urging countries to keep their borders and transport routes open.
“Such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science,” a WHO statement read. “They push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chance of the spread of disease. Most critically, these restrictions can also compromise local economies and negatively affect response operations from a security and logistics perspective.”
Security remains a major issue as health workers try to earn the trust of the local population, who often believe Ebola doesn’t exist. Since January, there have been nearly 200 attacks on Ebola treatment facilities and first responders. So far, violence has claimed the lives of seven health workers, two of which were “murdered in their home[s].”
The Congolese outbreak, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, is the second deadliest Ebola epidemic in history with 2,418 confirmed cases,1,676 deaths, and 12 new cases reported each day.
