Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: 15 Deaths and Challenges in Vaccine Distribution

The health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have announced the return of the Ebola virus outbreak, with the death toll reaching 15 cases since the end of August.

Congolese Health Minister Samuel Kamba confirmed that the virus has re-emerged in the Kasai province located in the central part of the country, noting that this is the sixteenth epidemic recorded in the country since the virus first appeared in 1976.

So far, 28 suspected cases have been recorded, with the first infection detected on August 20 in a pregnant woman who was hospitalized.

Despite advances in vaccines and treatments, the Ebola virus remains deadly, having claimed the lives of approximately 15,000 people in Africa over the past fifty years. The last outbreak of the virus in the Congo between 2018 and 2020 resulted in the deaths of around 2,300 people.

The World Health Organization has stated that the Zaire strain of the virus, for which a specific vaccine is available, is responsible for the new outbreak, indicating that it has a stockpile of vaccines estimated at 2,000 doses stored in Kinshasa ready for dispatch to affected areas.

Dr. Mohamed Jnabi, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the need for swift action to stop the spread of the virus and protect the population, but warned of the possibility of an increase in the number of cases.

However, efforts to control the outbreak face significant challenges due to the weak infrastructure and communication means in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has an area four times that of France, complicating the distribution of vaccines and medical supplies.

The situation remains concerning, and authorities are making intensive efforts to ensure the necessary logistics for vaccine distribution and to confront this ongoing health threat.