The two emerging Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea require swift action “to avoid catastrophic consequences”, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.
This is the White House’s first official statement on the rise of Ebola in the two African countries. Psaki said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in Central and West Africa.
“While the world is faltering under the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola has re-emerged simultaneously in Central and West Africa. The world cannot afford to turn the other way,” Psaki said. “We must do everything in our power to respond quickly, effectively and with appropriate resources to stop these outbreaks before they become large-scale epidemics.”
The World Health Organization announced last week that it had confirmed new cases of Ebola in Butembo, a city in the North Kivu province in the DRC. The city was at the center of the second largest Ebola outbreak in the world declared in June. WHO officials said on Friday that it would transport the vaccine to the hard-to-reach city and suppress the deadly disease before spreading widely.
Separately, Guinean officials confirmed the rise of Ebola in N’Zerekore, in southern Guinea, over the weekend. On Sunday, after at least three people were killed and four others infected with the disease, the West African nation declared an Ebola epidemic. Neighboring countries Sierra Leone and Liberia have put their citizens on high alert.
Unlike the highly contagious coronavirus, which can be spread by people who have no symptoms, Ebola is thought to be spread by people who are already visibly ill. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of people who are sick or have died from the disease.
According to the WHO, Ebola has an average mortality rate of 50%, although it can vary according to outbreak.
Psaki said U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday spoke with ambassadors from Guinea, the DRC, Sierra Leone and Liberia “to convey the United States’ willingness to work closely with the countries.”
“Mr Sullivan emphasized President Biden’s commitment to providing US leadership to strengthen health security and create better systems to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies,” Psaki said. “Outbreaks require rapid and overwhelming response to prevent catastrophic consequences.”
The re-emergence of Ebola in Guinea and the DRC are especially health specialists who are concerned because the countries are the two worst Ebola outbreaks in history. The outbreak in the DRC declared in June lasted almost two years. It was the second largest in the world and by the end of it, according to the WHO, there were 3 481 cases and 2 299 deaths.
The infamous West African Ebola outbreak began in Guinea in 2014 before spreading across borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to the WHO. By the end of 2016, there were more than 28,000 cases, including more than 11,000 deaths, the WHO says.
“Since the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the United States has sought to increase and prioritize health security assistance with partners through the Global Health Security Agenda and with strong congressional support,” Psaki added Tuesday. “We can not afford to take our foot off the gas – even if we fight COVID, we need to ensure global health and capacity and funding for health.”
During the West African Ebola outbreak, the US Centers for Disease Control confirmed 11 cases of Ebola in the US, mostly among medical workers who traveled to Africa to help with the response. Dr Syra Madad, senior director of the system-wide special pathogen program at New York City Health + Hospitals, told CNBC on Tuesday that the city is working to ensure the outbreak response protocols are up to date.
“Every time we see an epidemic declared, at least in New York City, we know we’re a travel hub. We need to make sure our staff is aware of PPE skills and to identify these patients,” he said. she said. said in a telephone interview. “There’s a big rush just to make sure the concept of the operation plan is dusted off.”