A rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 1,400 people, as armed conflict and reduced international assistance complicate efforts to contain the virus.
Congo had recorded 3,262 confirmed cases and 1,437 deaths. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of ebola. There is no vaccine or effective treatment.
The epicenter of the outbreak is eastern Congo, where fighting has displaced communities and restricted access for health workers. Contact tracing becomes especially difficult when families are moving, clinics cannot operate safely and patients cannot reach isolation centers. Unpaid health workers, attacks on treatment facilities and public distrust have compounded the problem.
The outbreak also emerged after the Trump administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and sharply reduced foreign assistance.
USAID previously financed laboratories, disease surveillance, community outreach and emergency-response networks that helped countries identify and contain infections. Public-health experts say the loss of those programs weakened preparedness before the current outbreak began.
The United States has since committed $23 million for Ebola clinics and response work, deployed CDC personnel and pledged $50 million toward developing medical countermeasures. However, international funding remains inadequate. The World Health Organization said in July that it had received less than half the money required for its response.
Guest:
Rodney E. Rohde is the Associate Director of the Translational Health Research Initiative at Texas State University and is Distinguished Professor, Regents' Professor and Chair for the Medical Laboratory Science Program in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University.
Susan McLellan, MD. is Professor in the Infectious Diseases Division at UTMB, Medical Director of the Biocontainment Treatment Unit, Director of Biosafety for Research-related Infectious Pathogens, and Director of the Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, and Education (SPECTRE) program.
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