As Ebola continues spreading in DRC, doctors discuss challenges containing virus

As the deadly Ebola epidemic continues to spread in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, doctors shared the struggles they face trying to contain the disease.

As of Monday, there were 321 confirmed cases and 48 confirmed deaths, according to government figures and official data. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, at least 15 cases and one death have been confirmed in neighboring Uganda, according to health officials.

Some doctors told ABC News that the virus is a serious threat, but they are equally concerned about the spread of fear and misinformation in communities.

IRC: Ebola outbreak spreading in Africa ‘probably much worse’ than official figures suggest

Dr. D., an infectious diseases physician and head of research at the Department of Medical Research based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Aymar Akilimali told ABC News how health care workers’ ability to respond to the outbreak may be hampered.

“A virus can be combated and controlled through scientific tools such as surveillance, rapid diagnosis, clinical management, research and preventive measures,” he said. “On the other hand, if a population is fearful, distrustful of health facilities, or lives in an unsafe area, the response becomes much more complex.”

Akilimali highlighted the various challenges that fear can create.

“Patients may delay seeking medical care, some contacts may become difficult to trace, and medical teams may face limited access to communities,” he said.

Akilimali is assisting with Ebola outbreak response efforts in Goma, a major metropolis in eastern DRC. A wind flow of black volcanic rock covers the city’s perimeter, through densely populated neighborhoods and camps for displaced people.

He is responsible for documenting how Ebola spreads through the population over time, evaluating prevention and control strategies, and supporting community outreach activities. He admitted it was “stressful.”

“Working on the front lines means working in an environment dominated by fear, urgency, uncertainty and, above all, strong emotional pressure, because this disease is highly contagious and deadly,” Akilimali said. he said.

He said Ebola treatment centers, where many patients go to receive treatment, are strictly monitored to prevent the spread of the disease. Democratic Republic of Congo Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya told ABC News last month that there were at least 125 patients in the centers.

“Biosafety is the top priority in these centers,” Akilimali said. he said. “Every movement, every contact and every procedure follows strict protocols designed to protect both patients and medical staff.”

Healthcare workers at the centers must wear full personal protective equipment for long periods of time, which can be difficult in the heat of the region, he said.

Democratic Republic of Congo minister says people ‘no need to panic’ over Ebola outbreak

Akilimali explained that people in some communities did not believe the Ebola virus was real and broke into response centers to create mayhem or steal the bodies of their deceased relatives.

UNICEF’s health chief in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Amédée Prosper Djiguimdé agrees that one of the biggest challenges in the response is the fear of society.

“Misinformation and fear also impact control efforts, including resistance to decontamination and the reluctance of some patients or families to accept isolation,” Prosper Djiguimdé told ABC News.

She described how UNICEF communicates directly with local leaders, religious leaders, women’s groups, transportation workers and medical personnel to build trust among communities.

Prosper Djiguimdé noted that UNICEF and its partners listened to concerns and addressed misinformation by disseminating messages about Ebola “through trusted local structures rather than relying solely on top-down communication.”

According to Akilimali, the biggest challenge facing health workers is operating in a region marred by armed conflict, displaced populations, poverty and fragile health systems.

“In some areas, insecurity restricts communities’ access to healthcare, and dilapidated infrastructure hinders rapid contact tracing,” he said. “Another challenge is the psychological burden on healthcare workers. Many teams work under constant pressure, facing the severity of the disease and even death.”

Prosper Djiguimdé added that access issues and poor mobility of field teams were among the biggest challenges UNICEF faced in the response.

It also highlighted gaps in the availability of protective equipment, community resistance, delayed detection, movement of suspected patients between facilities and “suboptimal” contact tracing.

Kenyan court temporarily blocks US Ebola quarantine facility plan

On Monday, the International Rescue Committee noted that currently only 20% of contacts have been traced and the outbreak is under control. “probably much worse” more than official figures suggest.

Akilimali added that some frontline healthcare workers are afraid of the disease, especially after seeing some of their colleagues die while caring for patients.

He said these workers understood the risks of Ebola, but working at the center of a deadly outbreak “raised mixed emotions.”

Akilimali said health workers are in a better position to respond to this Ebola outbreak than in past outbreaks, thanks to the rapid mobilization of equipment provided by international organizations and more robust surveillance strategies and prevention efforts.

“No matter the severity [Ebola]“Local health professionals remain deeply committed to protecting their communities,” he said.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would reengage with global vaccine alliance Gavi amid the pandemic.

He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the decision to rejoin following the Trump administration was made a few weeks ago. withdrawn funds from Gavi last year.