EAC strengthen preparedness for Ebola outbreak in DRC

ARUSHA: THE East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has called on partner states to heighten surveillance, strengthen emergency preparedness and intensify crossborder coordination following confirmation of a new outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The outbreak was confirmed on May 15th this year by the DRC Ministry of Public Health and is centred in Ituri Province in eastern DRC, near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan. The response is being led by the DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare with support from development partners.

Preliminary reports indicate that the outbreak is mainly affecting the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, while suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, the provincial capital and a key transport hub in the region.

As of May 15th, this year about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths had been reported. Laboratory tests confirmed at least 13 positive Ebola cases out of 20 samples tested, including four confirmed deaths. The current outbreak marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the disease was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River.

Meanwhile, two cases of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus linked to travellers from the DRC have been laboratory confirmed in Uganda, with one death reported in the capital, Kampala.

The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the outbreak highlights the continuing threat posed by epidemic-prone diseases and the importance of regional solidarity and preparedness.

“The EAC remains vigilant and fully committed to supporting Partner States in strengthening surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, particularly in border areas,” he said.

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Mr Ariik added that the high movement of people and goods across the region requires coordinated preparedness and rapid information-sharing to prevent cross-border transmission and protect lives and livelihoods.

The EAC has urged partner states to activate national and cross-border preparedness plans, enhance screening and surveillance at points of entry and ensure health workers and rapid response teams are adequately equipped and trained to detect and respond to suspected cases.

The regional bloc is working closely with national ministries of health, regional institutions, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and development partners to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacity across the region.

Partners supporting the response include Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM).

The EAC also announced rapid activation of its mobile laboratory network to support cross-border surveillance along the DRC border, with the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) serving as the EAC Regional Centre of Excellence in laboratory diagnostics.

Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. It spreads through direct contact with blood or body fluids of infected individuals, contaminated surfaces, infected animals and the bodies of Ebola victims.

The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days and infected individuals are not contagious until symptoms develop. Early symptoms include sudden fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and, in some cases, unexplained bleeding or bruising.

Depending on the virus strain and the availability of quality supportive care, fatality rates can range from 25 per cent to more than 70 per cent.