An Ebola outbreak in a southwestern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is escalating quickly, as some health responders say they have less than a tenth of the funding needed to contain the deadly disease.
The first case was identified in a 34-year-old pregnant woman on August 20, when she sought care at a local hospital in the Kasai province for fever, bloody vomiting, and hemorrhages. She died on August 25. Officials declared an outbreak on September 4, when the case tally was up to 28 with 15 deaths. As of this week, there have been at least 57 cases and 35 deaths—a 61 percent fatality rate, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Officials in DR Congo are struggling to respond to the outbreak, which is in a province known for its poor road networks, according to reporting by The Associated Press. Treating Ebola can require extensive resources, including protective equipment, medicines, and transportation to reach remote areas. Health facilities in the area of the outbreak are already overwhelmed and quickly running low on critical resources, including clean water and protective equipment. The only treatment center in the epicenter of the outbreak, the Bulape health zone, is at 119 percent capacity, the AP reported, citing information from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Africa (IFRC).
Susan Nzisa Mbalu, head of communications for IFRC, told the AP, "We urgently need our partners and donors to step up and support this lifesaving response to ensure we can contain the outbreak quickly and protect the most vulnerable communities."
Jeopardized efforts
This week, the IFRC requested $25 million to contain the outbreak, but it has only $2.2 million in emergency funds for its outbreak response so far. The WHO likewise estimated the cost of responding to the outbreak over the next three months to be $20 million. But WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told the AP on Thursday that it only had $4.3 million in funding to draw from—a $2 million emergency fund and $2.3 million in funding from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Gavi vaccine alliance.
"Without immediate support, gaps in operations will persist, jeopardizing efforts to contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable communities," Jasarevic said.
In the past, the US Agency for International Development, USAID, has provided critical support to respond to such outbreaks. But, with funding cuts and a dismantling of the agency by the Trump administration, the US is notably absent, and health officials fear it will be difficult to compensate for the loss.
Mathias Mossoko, the Ebola Response Coordinator in Bulape, told the AP that the US has provided "some small support" but declined to elaborate.
Amitié Bukidi, chief medical officer of the Mweka health zone—another health zone in the Kasai province—told the outlet that there was still much work to do to contain the outbreak. "The need is still very great,” he said. “If USAID were to be involved, that would be good."
The Completionist breaks silence on investigation years after charity fraud allegations