In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ebola may have killed more than 200 people so far. Violence, mistrust and an overwhelmed surveillance system in the country's conflict-ridden east are weighing on efforts to curb the spread of the virus. More than 900 suspected cases have been reported in 11 health districts covering three eastern provinces, according to data released by the Ministry of Health on Sunday night. Regional data shows that as of May 23, the cumulative number of suspected deaths has reached 210.
The epidemic has exposed the difficulties faced in Ebola prevention and control in one of the most unstable regions in the world. Parts of the local area are controlled by armed groups, the health system is fragile, and treatment centers are frequently attacked, seriously disrupting the epidemic containment efforts. Data from the Ministry of Health shows that medical staff can only trace about 20% of identified close contacts in a single day.
"Violence forces people to flee, including health and humanitarian workers," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media on Sunday. "This severely hinders the ability to expand Ebola contact tracing and make it difficult to detect infection cases in a timely manner and provide supportive treatment."
Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Sunday that 10 African countries have been identified as being at risk of the epidemic due to high regional mobility and insufficient surveillance and diagnostic capabilities.