Mr. Fletcher warned that while Ituri province remains the center of the outbreak, the virus is spreading to other provinces due to conflict and displacement.
Since the DRC declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15, The Bundibugyo species has infected more than 1,700 and killed 600 in the DRC. In neighboring Uganda, the authorities have confirmed 20 cases.
The effects of the outbreak are compounded by persistent conflict, hunger, displacement, weak basic services and limited health care in the DRC, Mr Fletcher said, making this one of the most complex humanitarian crises
“This is more than a public health emergencyhe said.
International response
In response to the outbreak, the UN released up to $60 million in May to speed up efforts in the DRC, help prepare neighboring countries for the possible spread of the disease and work with local communities to build confidence in the public health response.
The World Health Organization has been working with the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, to supply medical equipment to affected regions and build isolation and treatment units.
The UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee – made up of the heads of the world’s largest aid organizations – has activated a System-Wide Scale-Up to control the disease in the DRC, and the UN has deployed Senior Ebola Coordinator Julien Harneis to support disease containment efforts.
“We know how to stop Ebola and we are implementing our strategyhe said.
Calls to action
Despite these efforts, closures and travel restrictions caused by the conflict are disrupting humanitarian operations, health services and essential trade without preventing the spread of the disease.
Therefore, all parties must work together on ensure safe and sustained access for humanitarian personnel and health workers, supplies and response equipmentsaid mr. Fletcher.
He called for support for humanitarian aid programs and investment in preparedness.
The best defense against Ebola, he said, is continued surveillance, laboratory testing, referral systems, infection prevention and control and community engagement. He further highlighted the need for locally led, community-centred approaches to Ebola containment that are tailored to both men and women.
“Any delay will be measured in Ebola deaths and in lives lost to the wider humanitarian consequences of this outbreak,” Mr Fletcher said.
