Congo’s Ebola outbreak has crossed 8,000 confirmed cases as officials warn of severe staff shortages. Rising deaths, mistrust and attacks on responders are weakening efforts to contain the spread.

Congo’s Ebola outbreak has crossed 8,000 confirmed cases, with officials and aid agencies warning that the country is running short of health workers needed to contain the disease. The current outbreak, announced on May 15, is the country’s 17th and its deadliest, and is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine.

According to the latest data from Congo’s health ministry, released on Sunday, 8,067 cases had been confirmed and 3,901 people had died as of September 26. The outbreak has spread across 63 health zones in seven of the country’s 26 provinces, with a fatality rate of more than 48 per cent.

In its latest report, the World Health Organisation said, “The continuously high crude case fatality ratio, and especially the continuously high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care.” It said this showed that a large share of those infected were dying, without accounting for factors such as delays in seeking help or hidden cases.

The outbreak has also been marked by unrest and mistrust. An official of Congo’s ruling party UDPS, Marie-Clestin Karondwa, was attacked by unknown suspects on Sunday after defending the government’s Ebola measures during a radio programme, according to the party. Karondwa, the acting president of the party’s federal executive in Butembo in North Kivu province, was attacked “by alleged troublemakers from his neighbourhood, Vulindi”, the party said. It called on the government to investigate. Since the start of the outbreak, scepticism among some local people, who have dismissed the disease as a hoax, has fuelled attacks on health workers and health facilities.

The outbreak is also affecting other essential services in the worst-hit areas. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday that routine primary healthcare services in Ituri province fell by 13 per cent between April and June as resources were shifted towards the Ebola response. “The indirect impact of the outbreak reflects both reduced health service availability – as a result of staffing and operational pressures – and reduced demand, as fear of infection and isolation discourages care-seeking,” OCHA said.

Last week, the WHO said Congo was running out of health workers to contain the disease. Health workers have complained of delayed or missing payments, leading to several strikes. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 health workers have died since the outbreak was announced. While some areas, including Ituri province and Haut-Uele, have reported fewer confirmed cases in recent weeks, officials said the disease was spreading further in other places and widening its geographical reach.

Data from the Africa CDC showed that the current outbreak has spread faster than the West Africa regional outbreak over the same period. By week 19, the 2014-2016 regional outbreak had recorded 3,781 cases, while the current outbreak had recorded 7,840. The WHO said it was on track to surpass the regional outbreak, which killed 11,000 people. Officials have said containment efforts continue to be hindered by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movement. Overall, the latest figures and field reports show that Congo’s deadliest Ebola outbreak is still expanding even as the response faces mounting pressure.

With PTI Inputs