MSF warns Ebola spread in DR Congo's North Kivu province is 'out of control'

Medical NGO, Médecins Sans Frontieres, on Tuesday warned of an alarming surge in Ebola cases in the Congolese province of North Kivu.

It said the north-eastern region now accounts for nearly 40 per cent of all newly confirmed incidents nationwide saying the spread was “out of control”.

Stephanie Hoffmann, coordinator at the MSF Ebola Treatment Centre in Butembo, one of North Kivu’s major cities, said most new cases were coming from unknown chains of transmission.

“Seventy-five per cent of all deaths stemming from Ebola are community deaths, meaning people that are never seen in treatment centres or transit centres,” she said.

Hoffmann said this represents a very important opportunity for increased transmission because people dying at home “are being taken care of by their family, by their friends”.

She added that one of the main challenges remained a lack of community engagement, with people fearful of admitting they might have the disease and seeking help.

“There's a lot of fear about the disease because it is a very scary disease and there's fear to seek help,” she said.

Just last week, a politician in Butembo was killed hours after appearing on a local radio show to raise awareness for Ebola prevention measures.

While the beginning of the epidemic is really centred around Butembo town, now all of the neighbouring health zones have reported confirmed cases.

“So, it is jumping from the city centre into all of the rural areas where there's actually no support whatsoever," said Hoffmann.

With new hotspots emerging every week, the organisation is calling for an urgent increase in treatment capacity.

It has warned that facilities in North Kivu are stretched beyond their limits putting both patients and communities at greater risk.

Increase in cases in the province has also strained ordinary health centres, where many prefer to go for treatment because of the fear surrounding Ebola treatment facilities.

The ongoing outbreak began in Ituri province to North Kivu’s north. It spread for months before it was detected, and by the time it was announced in May, dozens were dead.

It is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus and has quickly became the most deadly in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.