The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo may have spread beyond the country’s borders and into additional provinces, raising fears of a wider regional health crisis.
WHO representative Anne Ancia said ongoing investigations into the outbreak were uncovering signs of broader transmission than initially anticipated.
“The more we are investigating this outbreak, the more we realise that it has already disseminated at least a little bit across the border and also in other provinces,” Ancia was quoted as saying.
According to the WHO official, Ituri province, identified as the epicentre of the outbreak, remains particularly difficult to manage due to insecurity and high population movement, factors that have complicated efforts to trace infections and contain the spread of the virus.
She added that the outbreak has now extended into South Kivu province, an area already facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
The outbreak has so far claimed at least 131 lives, while more than 513 suspected Ebola cases have been recorded in Congo.
Global concern has intensified following reports that the virus has crossed into neighbouring Uganda, where one death linked to the outbreak has already been confirmed.
The WHO recently declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern, citing the rapid spread of the disease and the increasing risk of cross-border transmission.
However, the organisation clarified that the outbreak has not yet met the criteria for classification as a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations.
Health authorities are also facing fresh challenges because there is currently no approved vaccine specifically designed for the strain of Ebola responsible for the latest outbreak. The WHO said it is assessing whether existing treatments and drugs could provide some degree of protection.
Meanwhile, Nigerian academic Sylvester Odion Akhaine has expressed concern over the outbreak and the possibility of further international spread.
Akhaine warned that the absence of a vaccine for the current Ebola strain makes the situation even more dangerous.
He noted that while countries in East Africa were strengthening border surveillance and health checks, there appeared to be insufficient urgency in Nigeria regarding the emerging health threat.
Referencing Nigeria’s response during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Akhaine recalled the role played by late physician Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, who prevented wider transmission after isolating Liberian-American Ebola patient Patrick Sawyer despite pressure to release him.
“Politics is about the affairs of the people, the repository of popular sovereignty. Incumbent state actors should rise to the occasion and begin to give the emerging global health emergency the attention it deserves,” he said.
The latest outbreak has continued to trigger heightened surveillance measures in several African countries amid fears of further regional spread.
