The Democratic Republic of the Congo has received over 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine as part of its efforts to tackle the country’s swiftest Ebola outbreak. This information comes from the nation’s health minister.
On Friday, a total of 16,250 doses arrived at N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa. This delivery is part of the 70,000 doses anticipated from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners. Additional shipments are expected early next week.
The current outbreak in Congo is attributed to the Bundibugyo virus, an uncommon strain without an approved treatment or vaccine. Its symptoms can often mimic those of other illnesses, such as malaria, which allows it to spread unnoticed. Although the Ervebo vaccine is licensed to treat Ebola, the WHO suggests that it might offer some level of protection against the Bundibugyo virus.
There have been 2,557 fatalities reported among 5,375 confirmed cases across six provinces. This outbreak is escalating at an alarming rate and may become more deadly than the record-setting outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, which resulted in over 11,000 deaths. According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control, the rate of transmission has not peaked, with potential to triple.
Containment efforts face significant challenges. These include ongoing armed conflicts between government forces and rebel factions, which exert control over critical areas in the outbreak’s epicenter. Additional obstacles consist of attacks on health workers and facilities, transient labor forces, displaced populations due to conflict, and lacking essential infrastructure.
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