Congo Ebola outbreak could have gone either way

In that earlier outbreak the WHO was slow to act and initially ineffective. This time, in Congo, the need to act fast was appreciated and WHO and other global health players (e.g. MSF, Red Cross) were quickly on the ground in DRC. A symbolically significant signal of commitment in this regard were personal visits by the new Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to DRC and the Central African Republic

Funding necessary for curbing the outbreak also started to flow more promptly this time, from the World Bank (through its new Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility), the United States, Germany, and several other donors.

Two important medical technology developments were also crucial, an effective experimental vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV) and the genetic testing of cases with GeneXpert, a machine widely used in Africa for diagnosing tuberculosis. This made diagnosis of Ebola far faster and isolation of infected persons more rapid, significantly reducing the risk of infectious spread.

While this outbreak (the ninth in DRC) has now been declared over the chastening reality is that another (possibly far worse) Ebola outbreak in DRC or neighbouring states is inevitable sometime in the next few years as the virus is endemic in the region. The fragile health systems and low levels of human development of these states will, in turn, add to vulnerability.

On the positive side however, major improvements in the ability to handle future outbreaks have clearly been made and offer hope to the region’s populations.