By Gloria Ogbonna
Humanitarian workers battling the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are sounding the alarm over a worsening shortage of clean water, warning that the lack of basic sanitation resources is undermining efforts to contain the deadly virus.
Speaking on Tuesday, an Oxfam field coordinator described the situation in eastern Congo as increasingly dire, stressing that access to safe water — one of the most important defenses against Ebola transmission — remains out of reach for many families living in the outbreak zone.
Manel Rebordosa, who is working with the international humanitarian organization Oxfam, told Sky News that communities in the eastern Ituri province are facing a dangerous combination of public health challenges that are helping fuel the spread of the disease. The region includes the mining town of Mongbwalo, considered the epicenter of the current Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak.
According to Rebordosa, the area is characterized by poor sanitation infrastructure, limited access to clean water, overcrowded living conditions, and a highly mobile population of miners and workers who frequently travel between communities.
“Clean water is the first line of defense against Ebola, yet for many people it is simply not available,” he explained.
The situation is particularly troubling in mining communities where thousands of workers operate in difficult conditions. Many mining sites reportedly lack even the most basic sanitation facilities, including toilets and handwashing stations. As workers return home each day, they risk carrying infectious diseases into densely populated neighborhoods already struggling to contain the virus.
“Miners working in the surrounding areas have no toilets and handwashing stations. Then they return home to communities already battling the virus,” Rebordosa said.
The cost of clean water has become another major obstacle. He noted that approximately 20 liters of clean water can cost around $2, a price that many local families simply cannot afford in one of the world’s poorest regions.
Health experts fear that contaminated water and inadequate hygiene practices may be contributing to the steady increase in Ebola cases despite the significant deployment of medical teams and emergency resources throughout the affected areas.
In addition to sanitation challenges, humanitarian organizations say efforts to track and isolate potential Ebola infections have become increasingly difficult due to funding shortages.
Contact tracing — a critical public health strategy used to identify and monitor individuals who may have been exposed to the virus — has reportedly declined significantly compared to previous outbreaks.
Rebordosa pointed to reductions in international funding, including cuts affecting disease surveillance programs, as a major factor behind the decline.
During the major Ebola outbreak that struck the region in 2018, health officials were able to monitor nearly 80 percent of known contacts within the first month of the response effort. Today, however, humanitarian workers report that fewer than half of identified contacts are being successfully monitored.
“That gap is not just a statistic; it is a painful reality that allows the virus to spread undetected through communities,” Rebordosa warned.
Public health officials say the inability to quickly identify and monitor exposed individuals increases the risk that infected people will unknowingly transmit the virus to family members, coworkers, and healthcare providers.
Funding shortfalls have also forced aid organizations to reduce community outreach efforts, which experts describe as essential for educating residents and combating misinformation.
Eastern Congo has long struggled with distrust of government institutions, armed conflict, and widespread misinformation surrounding disease outbreaks. Humanitarian workers fear that reduced outreach efforts are allowing rumors and misconceptions about Ebola to spread rapidly.
“When trusted community outreach teams disappear, rumors spread faster than the virus,” Rebordosa said.
He added that many residents have become fearful of hospitals and treatment centers, viewing them as places where people go to die rather than receive care. As a result, some families are reportedly turning to traditional remedies instead of seeking medical treatment, delaying diagnosis and increasing the likelihood of further transmission.
“People now fear healthcare facilities, which they see as death traps. Families are turning to traditional remedies, which risks delaying treatment and allowing the virus to spread further,” he explained.
Rebordosa warned that without sustained financial support, humanitarian organizations may struggle to prevent the outbreak from expanding into additional communities.
“Every day without funding, the virus takes more lives,” he said.
Despite concerns about funding challenges, the United States has continued to play a major role in the international Ebola response effort.
Last week, the U.S. State Department announced an additional $20 million in emergency funding to support efforts aimed at controlling the outbreak. The new commitment brought total U.S. Ebola-related assistance to approximately $220 million, in addition to more than $350 million in broader humanitarian aid directed toward the DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda.
American support has included funding for disease surveillance, contact tracing programs, border screening operations, and public education campaigns designed to counter misinformation about Ebola and encourage early treatment.
“The United States continues to be the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response,” the State Department said in a statement.
Meanwhile, health officials continue to monitor the outbreak closely as case numbers climb.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that the current outbreak has become the largest ever linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
The Bundibugyo strain is relatively rare and has previously been associated with only two major outbreaks: one in Uganda in 2007 and another in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012.
As of Sunday, CDC data recorded 808 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC and 19 additional cases in neighboring Uganda. While these numbers represent a record outbreak for the Bundibugyo strain, they remain significantly smaller than some of the deadliest Ebola epidemics in history.
For comparison, the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the DRC resulted in approximately 3,470 cases, while the devastating West African epidemic between 2013 and 2016 infected more than 28,600 people across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Uganda’s response to the current outbreak, highlighting the country’s rapid mobilization of emergency resources.
According to WHO officials, Uganda established a specialized Ebola treatment unit within just six hours of officially declaring the outbreak, demonstrating a level of preparedness developed through years of experience managing previous Ebola emergencies.
Uganda has faced nine Ebola outbreaks over the years, giving health authorities extensive expertise in disease containment, patient isolation, contact tracing, and public education.
Global health experts say that lessons learned from Uganda’s response could provide valuable guidance for neighboring Congo as it works to slow the spread of the virus and prevent a larger regional health crisis.
For now, aid organizations warn that improving access to clean water, strengthening contact tracing efforts, and restoring community outreach programs remain among the most urgent priorities in the fight against one of Africa’s most dangerous infectious diseases.
Source Breitbart
Original article
Comments