Addis Ababa, Nov 13 (IANS) The number of confirmed Ebola cases has surpassed 11,000, with the death toll still rising, as Africa marked six months since the beginning of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said.
Addressing an online media briefing, Africa CDC has described the ongoing Ebola outbreak as a test of health security in Africa, voicing concerns over existing constraints and gaps hindering response and prevention efforts against the deadly virus.
“As we mark six months since the beginning of this outbreak, while we are having some progress, the past six months have shown that we are still facing challenges. Most of those challenges are concentrated in the epicentre of this outbreak, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),” said Wessam Mankoula, an Africa CDC official.
The latest data from Africa CDC showed that the number of confirmed cases in the multi-country outbreak has reached 11,145, with 5,437 deaths, accounting for 48.8 per cent of the total cases. Some 3,058 patients have recovered.
Speaking of concerns over critical constraints hindering response efforts in the DRC, the official cited climbing community cases and deaths, insecurity, as well as infections and deaths among healthcare workers, Xinhua News Agency reported.
With only about 11 per cent of new cases linked to known contacts, against the standard target of 95 per cent, Mankoula noted that gaps in contact listing and tracing currently constitute a major operational constraint, further compounded by insecurity.
Africa CDC also warned that the Ebola outbreak is adding strain to the DRC’s health system, which is already stretched by conflict, displacement, and disease emergencies.
Despite challenges leading to the disease’s further spread in the DRC, Mankoula highlighted positive progress in the continent’s fight against the deadly virus, acknowledging outbreak containment efforts in Kenya and Nigeria.
Kenya, which reported its first imported case on October 6, has reported a total of nine confirmed cases and two deaths. The country has not reported new cases since October 19.
On Wednesday, Kenyan health authorities announced the discharge of the country’s last Ebola patient and the release of the final 11 contacts upon completing their mandatory 21-day monitoring period in good health.
Acknowledging Nigeria’s efforts to contain the outbreak, Mankoula noted that, of all the 62 contacts identified, 59 have already completed monitoring and been discharged, while the remaining three are currently undergoing the mandatory monitoring.
Beyond four affected African countries, 10 other nations across the continent have previously been designated as high-risk, namely South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Somalia.
Africa CDC declared the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on May 18, one day after the World Health Organisation declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern.
–IANS
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