BUNIA – The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with an escalating Ebola situation, with the latest reports indicating at least 282 confirmed cases. Survivors of this devastating outbreak have shared their profound relief with The Associated Press.
The epidemic is primarily concentrated in the eastern Ituri province, where the Ministry of Health has documented 264 cases. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently lacks an approved vaccine or treatment, is responsible for this outbreak. Over 1,000 suspected cases have been identified across the country.
Efforts to control the outbreak face significant hurdles, as noted by the health ministry. Key strategies include prompt detection and isolation of new cases, meticulous contact tracing, safe burial practices, and bolstering infection control measures within healthcare facilities.
The ministry reports that contact tracing efforts have reached 45% coverage, with 220 potential cases still under investigation.
In the midst of these challenges, five individuals who have recovered from Ebola expressed their immense relief to The Associated Press.
Among them, Baraka Bulambulu, a nurse, shared his joy upon receiving consecutive negative test results, signifying his recovery from the disease.
Bulambulu was among those presented certificates of recovery by the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as he opened a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, on Sunday.
“The first one came back positive, but the second and third were negative for me,” Bulambulu said with a wide grin. “Coming out of this illness alive is an indescribable joy.”
Ezo Étienne, another nurse who recovered from the disease, said he first started feeling dizzy during ward rounds at the hospital as he checked on patients.
“That was how it started,” he recalled. “I called the team and told them, ‘Something’s wrong here.’ I checked my blood pressure and saw that I was immediately experiencing hypotension (low blood pressure). I decided to rest for a bit, and a few minutes later I started vomiting.”
The WHO has said all five survivors are health workers — four nurses and a laboratory worker — a group most affected in the outbreak.
Treatments so far have mostly targeted patients’ symptoms, the organization has said.
“Your courage gives hope and your living story, that this outbreak can be stopped,” Tedros told the health workers on Sunday.
Neighboring Uganda has also reported nine cases of Ebola and closed its border with Congo seeking to limit its spread.
Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, the Bundibugyo virus has been rare. The lack of approved vaccines and treatments, as well as the remote locations and armed violence in hot spots, have made the current response challenging.
Despite the challenges, the recoveries are “a victory worth celebrating,” said Dr. Dieudonne Mwamba Kazadi, the director-general of Congo’s National Institute of Public Health.
“It’s a strong message that it is possible to recover from Ebola when seeking care early in a dedicated health facility,” he added.
