Residents in eastern Congo cling to hope as a new Ebola treatment trial begins
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Residents at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak are pinning their hopes on experimental treatments after the incident Researchers have begun a highly anticipated study at the beginning of July of two possible years Ebola treatments in hopes of combating the still-growing disease epidemic.
At the Ebola treatment center within Bunia’s Evangelical Medical Center in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, the launch of the trial was marked with urgency rather than ceremony on Thursday.
As ambulances continued to arrive and healthcare workers disappeared into isolation wards behind layers of protective equipment, research efforts quietly evolved alongside the daily struggle to keep patients alive.
The virus that caused this epidemic It’s called BundibugyoIt is less common than others that cause Ebola disease, and there is no specific treatment or vaccine for it. More than 1,400 people have already been diagnosed and 438 have died, the head of the World Health Organization said. Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusHe said Thursday.
WHO announced the same day that the first participant had been enrolled in the study assessing whether the antiviral remdesivir, the experimental antibody therapy MBP134, or a combination of both could improve survival among patients infected with Bundibugyo virus.
WHO research advisor Dr. According to Vasee Moorthy, survival will be monitored for 28 days after starting treatment.
The WHO-supported trial is a collaboration between Congo’s national biomedical research institute INRB, Britain’s Oxford University, the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine and other international health groups.
Professor Yap Boum, head of emergency response at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the current trial focused on confirmed Ebola patients being treated at specialized treatment centres. He added that the second phase of the trial will include healthcare workers, close contacts and others at high risk of infection.
Professor Placide Mbala, coordinator of laboratory activities related to the current outbreak, said the research could continue for three to six months, depending on how quickly the outbreak develops.
Trial offers hope in region where virus is spreading
For many Bunia residents, the start of the trial offers a rare source of encouragement after weeks of mounting fear.
Bunia resident Audrey Tengetenge said the trials represented “light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I hope everything progresses very quickly so that we can relax. We want nothing more than an end to this very dangerous disease that continues to cause us pain,” Tengetenge added.
Gladys Munguro, an Ebola survivor who was discharged from an Ebola treatment center two weeks ago, said she watched other patients die while she was receiving care.
Munguro, who has now recovered, said he hoped the new treatments being tested would increase patients’ chances of survival and help control the epidemic.
“This experimental phase is necessary for us,” Munguro told The Associated Press. “I will volunteer as soon as the next phase of trials for high-risk individuals begins.”
But researchers will need to overcome the deep distrust in society.
Nelson Dhebi, a shopkeeper in Bunia, said he supports scientific research and hopes for positive results, but he is concerned that treatments could lead to death and he thinks others should take part in the trials. “First of all, research needs to be done on our elected representatives because they are the people who represent us,” he said.
Difficulties prevent intervention
community mistrust is just one of many challenges hindering the response to the epidemic. Overcrowding of treatment centers in hard-hit areas, delays in seeking care, and insecurity limiting access to conflict-affected areas remain major obstacles.
Nearly three in four deaths from Ebola during this outbreak have occurred outside health centers, Pierre Akilimali, incident manager at Congo’s National Institute of Public Health, said Friday.
Currently the study is only offered at Bunia’s Evangelical Medical Center in Ituri. Area was exposed to violenceThat includes healthcare workers trying to fight the virus spread through contact with sick patients’ bodily fluids.
Authorities plan to expand trials to other locations once it is safe to do so.
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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Constant Same Bagalwa in Bunia contributed to this report.
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