The Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security, Dr. Roger Kamba , announced this Thursday, September 4, the 16th Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It affects the Bulape health zone , in the Kasai province, and the strain identified is that of Zaire , the most lethal.
According to the provisional report , there are 28 suspected cases including 16 deaths , including 4 health workers , representing an alarming fatality rate of 57% .
The minister claims that this statement is based on « the rigor of the facts and scientific clarity, » but this announcement raises questions: how could the epidemic have reached such a level before being made public? The presence of healthcare workers among the victims also highlights the flaws in the protection of medical teams .
Dr. Kamba announced the activation of the Incident Management System , the deployment of rapid response teams , and the establishment of triage and isolation centers . But these measures come as 16 people have already died and the population is living in fear.
Another concern is the delay in reporting . Why weren’t local communities alerted as soon as the first suspected cases appeared? Did this lack of information contribute to the spread?
While the minister points out that « Ebola is a serious disease, but early and free treatment increases the chances of survival, » the question remains: do the health facilities in Kasai really have the necessary resources to provide this treatment? Reports from the field report glaring shortages of protective equipment, medicines, and qualified personnel .
The ministry is urging the population to comply with preventive measures – reporting suspected cases, avoiding contact, maintaining hygiene
– but how can these behaviors be enforced in areas where clean water and soap are luxuries?
This resurgence of Ebola once again highlights the fragility of the Congolese health system and the authorities’ lack of anticipation in the face of recurring epidemics.
