The World Health Organization (WHO) is emphasizing the critical roles of building trust and robust laboratory testing in the ongoing fight against the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a rapidly advancing outbreak that has also spread to neighboring Uganda. The outbreak is caused by the rare and deadly Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
As of June 8, the DRC has recorded 550 confirmed cases and 101 deaths, according to Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of WHO Health Emergencies Alert and Response Operations, speaking to journalists in Geneva. “The good news is that we have cumulatively 19 recovered patients, which shows that early diagnosis and treatment saves lives,” he stated.
Dr. Mahamud, speaking from Bunia in Ituri Province, which accounts for 94% of the country’s cases, explained that the increase in confirmed cases is due to “an expansion of the testing scale.” He noted the opening of more centralized laboratories to speed up the analysis of suspected Ebola samples, including a fully functional facility in Mongbwalu.
Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases and two deaths, with one probable case also resulting in death. The WHO has stated there is no evidence of community-level transmission in Uganda to date.
Challenges in Remote Access
In the DRC, 5,040 contacts were under surveillance as of June 6 in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. Efforts to enhance contact tracing have enabled health workers to reach 62% of contacts so far, with a target of 90% to 95% expected in the coming weeks. Dr. Mahamud indicated “slow and steady progress” based on building trust and community engagement.
The WHO official highlighted the vital role of local health workers in the early detection of cases and their referral to treatment centers. He described the current structure as a “well-functioning system integrated from surveillance to contact tracing, to the treatment center and to the laboratory,” emphasizing efficient data sharing.
However, significant challenges persist, including limited connectivity in remote locations where samples can take up to eight hours to reach a laboratory. “Ituri, North and South Kivu provinces combined cover an area the size of France. If you are in Bunia, you can get your result within an hour or two,” Dr. Mahamud said, but for areas further from testing facilities, the process can extend to 24 hours.
In a positive development, a laboratory is expected to become operational by Friday in Aru, a remote area near the Ugandan border where samples previously had to travel 10 hours by road for testing.
To date, the WHO has supported the establishment of field laboratories in five affected areas, led by the DRC, to enable testing closer to the outbreak’s epicenter. The UN health agency, working with partners to support government-led efforts, has deployed over 100 personnel to the DRC, delivered 40 tons of equipment and medical supplies, and assisted in setting up Ebola treatment centers.
