The Africa Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is deploying 25 epidemiologists,
laboratory experts, and anthropologists to support the government of the
Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) efforts to control the recent Ebola
virus outbreak in Mbandaka and Bikoro, reports NaijaAgroNet.
This, NaijaAgroNet gathered, followed the
announcement on 8 May 2018 of the Ebola outbreak by the government of DRC.
According to Africa
CDC, the deployment follows an assessment mission within 48
hours and activated Emergency Operational Centre to
link, scan and monitor the situation.
“The global
community needs to respond to this outbreak as a crisis and not as an
emergency, by quickly deploying public health assets to the affected areas
expiditiously”. I want to applaud the Minister of Health of the DRC for his
exemplary leadership in managing this current outbreak so far. “All our efforts
should be geared towards supporting his leadrship” said Dr. John Nkengasong,
the Director of the Africa CDC, upon his return this week, with a high level
delegation, to the affected areas in Mbandaka and Bikoro.
The DRC
government is working with partners to improve coordination mechanisms, enhance
surveillance, laboratory confirmation, contact identification and follow-up,
case management, infection prevention and control, safe and dignified burials,
social mobilisation and community engagement, logistics, risk communication,
vaccination, partner engagement, research and resource mobilisation.
During the Africa CDC
team’s visits they assisted the Ministry of Health, together with other
partners, to develop three strategies: a) surveillance and contact
tracing, b) Defining the various health areas affected, and c) laboratory
testing and network. The Africa CDC will provide up to USD 2 million to support
Africa CDC interventions. Due to the remote nature of the Equateur Province, it
is expected that more efforts will need to be put in supply chain issues to
ensure that essential items needed are delivered swiftly.
Last week the African
Union Peace and Security Council was briefed on the situation and will continue
to receive reports. Under Article 6(f) relating to its mandate with
regard to humanitarian action and disaster management the Council can authorise
deployment of military and civilian missions and assets to tackle emergency
situations as it did in August 2014 in the Ebola outbreak in the West Africa
sub-region. This outbreak is the 9th outbreak of the Ebola
virus disease over the last 4 decades in the country.
NaijaAgroNet also gathered that the
affected health area of Bikoro covers 1 075 km and has a population of 163 065
inhabitants. This huge population is supported by only 3 hospitals and 19
health centres, most of which have limited functionality.
The risk of
speard of the virus is high at national and regional levels due in part to the
proximity of the epidemic focus to the Congo River which links with the
capitals of the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo and the
Central African Republic. As such, Africa CDC is coordinating with these
countries to ensure that their surveillance systems are activated and
information is shared in real time.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE