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| WHO calls for more funds to fight DRC Ebola outbreak | WHO calls for more funds to fight DRC Ebola outbreak |
| (21 days later) | |
| The World Health Organization has backed off from declaring that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an international emergency despite it spreading into Uganda. | The World Health Organization has backed off from declaring that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an international emergency despite it spreading into Uganda. |
| After long discussions, a WHO committee ruled that although the outbreak was an emergency for DRC, it did not fit the criteria to be declared a public health emergency of international concern. | After long discussions, a WHO committee ruled that although the outbreak was an emergency for DRC, it did not fit the criteria to be declared a public health emergency of international concern. |
| Dr Preben Aavitsland, the acting chair of the emergency committee, said they were extremely worried about the ongoing outbreak and its spread and especially concerned that the world had not yet come up with the money needed to fight it. | Dr Preben Aavitsland, the acting chair of the emergency committee, said they were extremely worried about the ongoing outbreak and its spread and especially concerned that the world had not yet come up with the money needed to fight it. |
| “The committee is deeply disappointed that WHO and the affected countries have not received the funding and resources needed for this outbreak,” he said. “The international community must step up funding and support for the strengthening of preparedness and response in the DRC and the neighbouring countries.” | “The committee is deeply disappointed that WHO and the affected countries have not received the funding and resources needed for this outbreak,” he said. “The international community must step up funding and support for the strengthening of preparedness and response in the DRC and the neighbouring countries.” |
| The WHO’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said the response will be hampered without more money. He said recently that only half the funds promised had been handed over. “WHO and partners cannot tackle these challenges without the international community stepping in to fill the sizeable funding gap,” Ghebreyesus said. | The WHO’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said the response will be hampered without more money. He said recently that only half the funds promised had been handed over. “WHO and partners cannot tackle these challenges without the international community stepping in to fill the sizeable funding gap,” Ghebreyesus said. |
| More than 2,100 people have been infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since August last year, making the outbreak the second largest in history. More than 1,412 people have died. | |
| The disease has been spreading at an unprecedented rate. While it took eight months to reach 1,000 reported cases, it took just 71 days to double that figure. | |
| Ebola causes fever, aches and diarrhoea and attacks the immune system, causing blood clotting cells to malfunction so that victims bleed extensively and die if their immune system cannot fight off the viral infection. It is spread from person to person through body fluids. | |
| Infected patients are isolated and treated by medical teams wearing full protective body suits who try to boost their immune response. | |
| A vaccine, still experimental, has proven to be highly effective in preventing the disease, according to the World Health Organization. | |
| The history of conflict in the DRC has lead to a suspicion of outsiders: rumours that health workers are making money from the crisis - or that Ebola doesn't even exist – continue to circulate. Aid agencies have been accused of failing to address community mistrust. | |
| A government decision in December to suspend voting in the presidential election in Ebola-affected areas fuelled the idea that the disease is being used as a political tool. | |
| There have been repeated attacks on health workers and facilities, slowing down vaccination programmes. Health workers have resorted to using police escorts, which has in turn exacerbated a feeling of intimidation among local people. | |
| After the committee announced its decision, Ghebreyesus said the WHO had received $43.6m, still short of the $54m that had been promised. “We call on all our partners to fill this gap as soon as possible,” he said. | After the committee announced its decision, Ghebreyesus said the WHO had received $43.6m, still short of the $54m that had been promised. “We call on all our partners to fill this gap as soon as possible,” he said. |
| A declaration of a public health emergency of international concern would have pulled in more resources and help. The WHO would have hoped especially to further involve the US, which has so far limited its help to boosting resilience in neighbouring countries because of violence in the disease-hit Kivu region of DRC. | A declaration of a public health emergency of international concern would have pulled in more resources and help. The WHO would have hoped especially to further involve the US, which has so far limited its help to boosting resilience in neighbouring countries because of violence in the disease-hit Kivu region of DRC. |
| The epidemic in DRC is different in several ways to an epidemic that raged in three countries in west Africa a few years ago, but after 10 months, nearly 2,100 cases and 1,400 deaths, there are warnings that the trajectory appears similar. | The epidemic in DRC is different in several ways to an epidemic that raged in three countries in west Africa a few years ago, but after 10 months, nearly 2,100 cases and 1,400 deaths, there are warnings that the trajectory appears similar. |
| “This epidemic is in a truly frightening phase and shows no sign of stopping any time soon,” said Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust. “There are now more deaths than any other Ebola outbreak in history bar the west Africa epidemic of 2013-16, and there can be no doubt that the situation is escalating towards those terrible levels. We urgently need a change in response to help stop Ebola spreading and save lives.” | “This epidemic is in a truly frightening phase and shows no sign of stopping any time soon,” said Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust. “There are now more deaths than any other Ebola outbreak in history bar the west Africa epidemic of 2013-16, and there can be no doubt that the situation is escalating towards those terrible levels. We urgently need a change in response to help stop Ebola spreading and save lives.” |
| Ian Vale, a regional director for Save the Children in east and southern Africa, said the outbreak’s spread into Uganda was a clear warning that not enough was being done to curb the virus. | Ian Vale, a regional director for Save the Children in east and southern Africa, said the outbreak’s spread into Uganda was a clear warning that not enough was being done to curb the virus. |
| “Our teams in the field in the DRC see the devastating effect of the virus on children every day. They have died, have seen parents and family die in the most gruesome way, they live in fear, schools are closed,” he said. | “Our teams in the field in the DRC see the devastating effect of the virus on children every day. They have died, have seen parents and family die in the most gruesome way, they live in fear, schools are closed,” he said. |
| Ebola in the DRC: everything you need to know | Ebola in the DRC: everything you need to know |
| Uganda has been preparing by vaccinating nearly 4,700 health workers in 165 health centres and clinics. A five-year-old boy and his grandmother died this week and there are three more suspected cases in hospital. | Uganda has been preparing by vaccinating nearly 4,700 health workers in 165 health centres and clinics. A five-year-old boy and his grandmother died this week and there are three more suspected cases in hospital. |
| There have been four declarations of public health emergencies since 2005, when WHO’s regulations came in: swine flu in 2009, polio in 2014 when there was a resurgence after near eradication, Ebola in west Africa in 2014 and Zika virus in Brazil in 2016. | There have been four declarations of public health emergencies since 2005, when WHO’s regulations came in: swine flu in 2009, polio in 2014 when there was a resurgence after near eradication, Ebola in west Africa in 2014 and Zika virus in Brazil in 2016. |
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