WHO: Ebola Vaccine Is Resisted in the Congo

In the latest news update from the World Health Organization (WHO), 3 factors are prohibiting the eradication of Ebola from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): attacks by military groups, community resistance to treatment, and the geographic spread of the virus.

As you may remember, the Ebola outbreak was first reported in May 2018 and was thought to be under control in June. However, the virus continued to spread through the various regions of the DRC and thrived in some populations.  

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WHO attributes this continued spread, in part, to severe military attacks in areas of high-risk, including an attack on September 22 that killed 21 people in Beni—the new hotspot city in which WHO is operating.

Another factor that is contributing to the spread is the population’s resistance to receiving the Ebola vaccine and reluctance of infected individuals to receive proper treatment. There is also concern that Ebola is not being prevented or controlled in health centers and that health center workers are not identifying Ebola infection quickly enough.

“While the majority of communities have welcomed response measures, in some, risks of transmission and poor disease outcomes have been amplified by unfavorable behaviors, with reluctance to adopt prevention and risk mitigation strategies,” WHO officials said.

The third factor WHO attributes to the continued spread is the geographic location:

“This outbreak of [Ebola] is affecting north-eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which border Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan,” WHO officials write. “Potential risk factors for transmission of [Ebola] at the national and regional levels include the transportation links between the affected areas, the rest of the country, and neighboring countries; the internal displacement of populations; and the displacement of Congolese refugees to neighboring countries.”

There have been more than 100 deaths related to the 2018 outbreak, although overall incidence is declining.

“The priority remains strengthening all components of the public health response in all affected areas, as well as continuing to enhance operational readiness and preparedness in the non-affected provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo [news release]. World Health Organization; September 20, 2018. http://www.who.int/csr/don/20-september-2018-ebola-drc/en/. Accessed September 25, 2018.