The fight against the epidemic in Congo is like "soldiers going to war with no weapons". The risk of the Ebola virus crossing borders is feared to affect 10 African countries

(Johannesburg, Global News) The Ebola epidemic has spread rapidly in the African country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has now spread to three provinces. Some flight routes within the country have been temporarily suspended. The African Center for Disease Control warns that the risk of cross-border transmission of the epidemic is increasing, and it may affect up to 10 countries on the African continent.

As of Friday (May 22nd), the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have reported 91 confirmed cases of the Ebola virus, 867 suspected cases and 204 suspected deaths.

As the number of cases continues to rise, the health authorities have currently confirmed that there are a total of 1,745 close contacts that require strict supervision and control. However, only a mere one-fifth of the close contacts have been traced so far. The large monitoring gap is cause for concern.

The hardest-hit area of this Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the eastern border province of Ituri. Neighboring Uganda has reported five confirmed cases of Ebola so far. The authorities have strengthened border and transportation control to prevent the spread of the Ebola epidemic.

As the epidemic situation becomes increasingly severe, the Ministry of Transport of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now suspended commercial, private and special flights to and from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. Humanitarian, medical or emergency flights must first obtain special approval from the aviation and health authorities before they can be carried out.

Ten African countries are feared to be affected by the epidemic. Shortage of supplies and funds has intensified the pressure on epidemic prevention and control.

The already fragile health system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing even greater pressure under the impact of this epidemic. The Bindiabo strain that triggered the outbreak has no treatment plan or licensed vaccine. The authorities can only rely on general public health measures such as community health promotion or changing behavioral habits to fight the epidemic, but the results are limited.

The director of the African Center for Disease Control, Kasaya, described the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its fight against the epidemic as being like "soldiers going to war with empty hands".

He also warned that the high rate of population mobility and the unstable situation in the African region have all contributed to the cross-border spread of the Ebola epidemic. Currently, 10 African countries may be affected, including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

The World Health Organization raised the national-level risk level of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from "high" to "very high" on Friday (the 22nd); the risk in Central Africa is "high", but the global risk is still classified as "low".

Kaseya of the African Center for Disease Control pointed out that what is lacking in dealing with this current Ebola outbreak is not only vaccines and experimental treatments, but also funds.

He stated that since the escalation of the pandemic, governments and aid agencies from various countries have all committed to providing millions of dollars in funds. However, some frontline institutions are still struggling to obtain basic supplies, ranging from personal protective equipment to treatment spaces and laboratory supplies, all of which are in short supply.

The African Center for Disease Control stated that African countries have collectively applied for approximately 319 million US dollars in funds to address the emergency situation of the pandemic and implement preventive measures. Of this amount, 84% was allocated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, while the remaining funds were distributed to neighboring high-risk countries such as South Sudan.