WHO extremely concerned about "perfect storm" of Ebola in Congo

GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said Tuesday that an Ebola outbreak in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo could escalate rapidly due to attacks by armed groups, resistance from communities and the geographical spread of the disease.

"We are now extremely concerned that several factors could come together over the next few weeks and months to create a perfect storm," said Peter Salama, chief of the emergency response of the United States. WHO at a press conference in Geneva.

At least 100 people died in the epidemic, out of 150 cases in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.

The response was at a critical juncture, and although the weekly number of new cases has increased from about 40 to about 10 in recent weeks and more than 11,700 people have been vaccinated, major obstacles have emerged.

Attacks by armed opposition groups increased in severity and frequency, especially those attributed to the Alliance of Democratic Forces, and more particularly an attack that left 21 dead in the city of Beni, where the operations of the WHO are based.

The city declared a dead city, a period of mourning at least until Friday, forcing the WHO to suspend its operations.

On Monday, 80% of contacts with the Ebola virus – people at risk of developing the disease and requiring follow-up – and three suspected cases in and around Beni could not be reached for the follow-up of the disease.

OPERATIONS

Pockets of "reluctance, refusal and resistance" to accept the Ebola vaccination have generated a large number of new cases, Salama said.

"We are also seeing a very worrying trend. This resistance, fueled by a completely natural fear of this terrifying disease, is beginning to be exploited by local politicians, and we are very concerned about the elections scheduled for December, which this operation will take over. momentum and will make it very difficult to eliminate the latest cases of Ebola. "

Some people have fled into the forest to escape the Ebola monitoring and control treatment, sometimes moving hundreds of kilometers, he added.

There was one south of Beni and another north near the shores of Lake Albert. Both were inaccessible for security reasons.

Neighboring Uganda was now facing an "imminent threat" and social media equated Ebola with criticism from the DRC and UN government and "a whole series of conspiracy theories", which could endanger health workers.

"We will not consider the need to evacuate yet but we are developing a range of emergency plans to determine where our employees are best placed," he said.

"If WHO and its partners were to leave North Kivu, we would be gravely concerned that this epidemic could not be well controlled in the weeks or months to come.