High-level meeting on the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirms its support for the government-led response and the United Nations system-wide approach

Near one year after the declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and given the number of new cases at worrying levels, the United Nations United Nations today held a high-level meeting in Geneva to take stock of the coordinated response and mobilize additional support for the government's efforts to overcome this deadly disease.

Yesterday, July 14, the first case of Ebola was confirmed in Goma, a city of about one million people located south of the epicenter of the epidemic. So far, nearly 3,000 health workers have been vaccinated against the disease in Goma. More than 1,650 people have died in the current epidemic, and about 12 new cases are reported each day.

With the epidemic still limited to the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, the response is at a critical juncture. WHO estimates that the risk of spread in provinces and neighboring countries is very high.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, and Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, addressed the DRC Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga, Humanitarian Action, Mr. Bernard Biando Sango, and Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Rory Stewart, as speakers.

"The tenth Ebola outbreak is a public health crisis that unfolds in an environment characterized by developmental problems and health system deficiencies," said Dr. Ilunga.

"The government recognizes how difficult it is to deal with this Ebola outbreak in our country. The response is taking place in a very complex environment, but with the support of our friends in the international community, the Congolese have pledged to reduce the number of cases to zero, "said Biando Sango.

"With the government, we can and will end this epidemic. We have better public health tools than ever before to fight the Ebola virus, including an effective vaccine, "said Dr. Tedros. "But we must see the end of the attacks and other disturbances of the response."

Since January, there have been 198 attacks against the health response resulting in 7 deaths and 58 injuries among health workers. "We need the political support of all parties and community ownership to ensure that stakeholders do their work safely and continuously. This is the only way to prevent the virus from continuing to spread.

Mr. Tedros also announced that he would reconvene the emergency committee as soon as possible to evaluate the latest developments and advise him accordingly.

The regions of the Ituri and North Kivu provinces affected by the Ebola virus are characterized by poor infrastructure, political instability and persistent conflict involving many armed militia groups and community mistrust of communities. national authorities and foreigners.

In May, the United Nations Secretary-General and the inter-agency humanitarian system strengthened the United Nations joint action. This included the appointment of Mr. David Gressly, United Nations Emergency Response Coordinator for Ebola (EERC), who is based in the affected areas to provide an environment conducive to the response of the United Nations. public health, including security, logistics, political and community engagement, and actions to address the concerns of affected communities.

"Today, donors and stakeholders have expressed confidence in the approach we are currently taking," Lowcock said. "If we do not immediately get more financial resources, it will not be possible to end the epidemic. Each delay gives the virus an opportunity to spread, with disastrous consequences. We must do everything in our power to avoid reaching the scale of the epidemic we experienced in West Africa five years ago, while more than 10,000 lives had been lost before a multi-billion dollar intervention brought the cases back to zero. "

Expressing on the role of the international community, Rt. Hon. Rory Stewart said, "We are on the brink of crisis. My visit to eastern DRC this month has only reinforced my point of view on the urgency of our response to this crisis. It is very very real. We are essentially looking for the Ebola virus – one of the world's deadliest diseases – in an area invaded by armed groups. We need the international community to intensify and prevent this epidemic from worsening. If we lose control of the disease, there is a real risk that this disease will spread beyond the borders of the DRC and the region as a whole. "

Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall, WHO Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response, and the President of the Ebola Survivors Association by DRC, Maurice Kakule, participated at the event by videoconference. Ms. Annette Dixon, Vice President of the World Bank Group for Human Development, also participated by video conference from Washington DC.

"We need to dramatically improve our preparedness and monitoring mechanisms to advance the virus instead of pursuing it. There is no room for complacency. It's not over until transmission is interrupted in all affected areas, "said GERC, a UN EERC representative from Goma.

Dr. Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, spoke about community engagement and the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Mr. Elhadj As Sy, readiness in the DRC and in neighboring countries. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, also referred to the preparation. Trina Helderman, Medair's representative, spoke of the crucial role played by NGOs in the response.