Geneva: The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa, which has officially infected nearly 2,000 individuals and resulted in over 700 fatalities, could potentially be at least two to four times larger than currently reported figures, the World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned. Concentrated primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with 20 confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda, the outbreak has raised significant concerns from global health authorities.
According to Deutsche Welle, WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu highlighted during a media briefing in Geneva that numerous cases remain unrecorded. The WHO, a United Nations health agency, is grappling with a substantial funding shortfall, having received less than half of the $115 million needed for the initial six months of efforts to combat the outbreak. Ihekweazu emphasized the necessity of adequate resources to match the scale of the challenges posed by the virus, underscoring that the DRC should not bear the burden alone.
Ihekweazu, who recently returned from a visit to the DRC, reported that the outbreak is primarily concentrated in the northeastern Ituri Province, as well as the neighboring North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The virus's spread in these regions continues to outpace response efforts by national authorities, international partners, including WHO, and the communities most affected. Alarmingly, many newly reported cases involve individuals who died without having reached a health facility or received care.
The WHO official also noted that survival rates are higher for infected individuals who seek hospital treatment. Efforts are underway to dispel myths regarding the ineffectiveness of hospital care for Ebola, with patients receiving isolated treatment, intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration, and oxygen to support breathing.
In response to the outbreak, the United States has tightened travel restrictions. US citizens in the DRC are now required to spend at least 21 days in a third country before returning home, while non-citizens who recently traveled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan are barred from entering the US.