2, April 2019
Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak is spreading at its fastest rate yet, eight months after it was first detected, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
Each of the past two weeks has registered a record number of new cases, marking a sharp setback for efforts to respond to the second biggest outbreak ever, as militia violence and community resistance have impeded access to affected areas.
Less than three weeks ago, the WHO said the outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever was largely contained and could be stopped by September, noting that weekly case numbers had halved from earlier in the year to about 25.
But the number of cases hit a record 57 the following week, and then jumped to 72 last week, said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier. Previous spikes of around 50 cases per week were documented in late January and mid-November.
Deaths occur outside treatment centers
More alarmingly, about three-quarters of Ebola deaths last week occurred outside of treatment centers, according to Congo health ministry data, meaning there is a much greater chance they transmitted the virus to those around them.
“People are becoming infected without access to response measures,” Lindmeier told Reuters.
The current outbreak is believed to have killed 676 people and infected 406 others. Another 331 patients have recovered.
In the past two months, five Ebola centers have been attacked, some by armed militiamen. That led French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to suspend its activities in two of the most affected areas.
Another challenge has been a mistrust of first responders. A survey conducted last September by medical journal The Lancet found that a quarter of people sampled in two Ebola hotspots did not believe the disease was real.
New outreach program
Lindmeier said new approaches to community outreach were showing signs of progress and that some previously hostile local residents had recently agreed to grant health workers access.
One treatment center that closed in February after being torched by unknown assailants reopened last week.
More than 11,000 people died in West Africa’s 2013-16 Ebola outbreak. Since then, health authorities have worked to speed up their responses and deployed an experimental vaccine and treatments, both of which have been considered effective.
Mlipuko wa Ebola nchini Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo (DRC) unaenea kwa kasi zaidi, miezi minane baada ya kugundua kwa mara ya kwanza, Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) limesema Jumatatu. Kila moja ya wiki mbili zilizopita imesajili idadi ya rekodi ya kesi mpya, ikionyesha kushindwa kwa juhudi za kukabiliana na mlipuko wa pili mkubwa zaidi kuwahi kutokea, kwani vurugu za wanamgambo na upinzani wa jamii umezuia ufikiaji wa maeneo yaliyoathiriwa. WHO ilisema janga la homa ya damu laweza kukomeshwa kufikia Septemba, ikisema idadi ya visa vya kila wiki imepungua kwa nusu kutoka mapema mwaka huu hadi karibu 25. Idadi ya wagonjwa wa corona ilifikia kiwango cha rekodi ya 57 wiki iliyofuata na kisha ikaongezeka hadi 72 wiki iliyopita, alisema msemaji wa WHO Christian Lindmeier. Mvutano wa hivi karibuni wa karibu kesi 50 kwa wiki ulirekodiwa mwishoni mwa Januari na katikati ya Novemba. "Kuna idadi kubwa ya vifo vya watu wanaosababisha ugonjwa wa Ebola nchini Congo, na karibu theluthi tatu ya vifo vya watu wanaosababisha ugonjwa huo wiki iliyopita vimetokea nje ya vituo vya matibabu, kulingana na takwimu za Wizara ya Afya ya Kongo, ikimaanisha kuna uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kuambukiza virusi hivyo kwa watu walio karibu nao.""" "Watu wanaambukizwa bila upatikanaji wa hatua za kukabiliana", Lindmeier aliiambia Reuters. Mlipuko huo wa sasa unaaminika kuwa umeua watu 676 na kuambukiza wengine 406. Wagonjwa wengine 331 wamepona. Katika miezi miwili iliyopita, vituo vitano vya Ebola vimeshambuliwa, baadhi ya vituo hivyo vikiwa vimechukuliwa na wanamgambo wenye silaha. Shirika la misaada la Ufaransa la Madaktari Bila Mipaka (MSF) limesababisha shughuli zake kusimamishwa katika maeneo mawili yaliyoathiriwa zaidi. Tatizo jingine limekuwa kutowaamini wahudumu wa kwanza. Uchunguzi uliofanywa Septemba mwaka jana na jarida la kitiba la The Lancet uligundua kuwa robo ya watu waliochukuliwa sampuli katika maeneo mawili ya Ebola hawakuamini ugonjwa huo ulikuwa wa kweli. "Lindmeier alisema mbinu mpya za kuwasiliana na jamii zinaonyesha ishara za maendeleo na kwamba baadhi ya wakazi wa eneo hilo ambao hapo awali walikuwa na uhasama wamekubali hivi karibuni kutoa upatikanaji wa wafanyikazi wa afya. """ Kituo kimoja cha matibabu kilichokuwa kimefungwa Februari baada ya kuchomwa moto na washambuliaji wasiojulikana kilifunguliwa wiki iliyopita. Watu zaidi ya 11,000 walifariki katika janga la Ebola la Afrika Magharibi mwaka 2013-16. Tangu wakati huo, mamlaka za afya zimefanya kazi kuharakisha majibu yao na kutumia chanjo ya majaribio na matibabu, ambayo yote mawili yamechukuliwa kuwa yenye ufanisi.