A shortage of trained health workers, funding and experienced aid organisations is hampering efforts to contain the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has expanded well beyond its original epicentre in Bunia and is now affecting six provinces. Health authorities are increasingly relying on a decentralised response, establishing treatment facilities closer to newly affected communities.
More than 6,000 infections and 3,175 deaths have been recorded, according to the WHO, making the epidemic the deadliest Ebola outbreak Congo has experienced.
WHO technical officer Luca Fontana said nearly 1,400 treatment beds have already been established across 59 centres, describing the expansion as one of the fastest he had seen, including during the major West African Ebola epidemic between 2014 and 2016.
However, the current capacity remains far below what is needed.
The WHO estimates that another 1,600 beds will be required as the disease continues to spread across northeastern Congo.
Because roughly three healthcare workers are required for every Ebola treatment bed, approximately 9,000 staff would be needed to operate the planned total capacity of 3,000 beds.
That means authorities must urgently recruit and train about 5,000 additional health workers.
The costs associated with treating Ebola patients are also placing severe pressure on the response.
Fontana said every entry by a healthcare worker into a high-risk patient area while wearing full personal protective equipment costs about $25, with hundreds of workers entering treatment zones each day.
The shortage of international organisations capable of managing Ebola treatment centres is creating another major obstacle.
According to Fontana, broader reductions in global donor funding have weakened many organisations that previously played significant roles during Ebola outbreaks, including the 2014-2016 West African epidemic.
He questioned why many groups that operated treatment centres during previous outbreaks were not currently deployed in Congo, saying a lack of resources was likely preventing them from participating.
Running a 50-bed Ebola treatment centre costs around $500,000, according to WHO estimates.
Only five or six major organisations are believed to have the expertise and operational capacity to establish and manage such facilities. Those organisations could become overwhelmed if they are forced to continue operating existing centres rather than moving into newly affected areas.
In some locations, Congo’s Health Ministry has begun taking responsibility for treatment centres established earlier in the outbreak, allowing experienced international partners to move closer to the expanding front line.
However, the WHO warned that the ministry’s own capacity could eventually become overstretched.
Fontana said additional organisations would therefore be needed to take over established facilities and allow specialised teams to concentrate on areas where new outbreaks are emerging.
The WHO has appealed to international donors to provide additional funding and speed up contributions toward the Congolese government’s Ebola response plan.
Authorities estimate that $1.3 billion will be required over the next six months to contain the epidemic, expand treatment capacity and support communities affected by the continuing spread of the virus.
