The military governor of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, the **epicenter of the current Ebola outbreak**, has likened the struggle to contain the spread of the virus to a “war” for which they are **lacking resources**.
“People in affected areas are not receiving enough food,” Johnny Luboya Nkashama told French broadcaster RFI, adding that **”other diseases” and “overcrowding” are also issues**.
He called for a **”swift response”**, including strengthening the capacity of staff to prevent Ituri “from descending into catastrophe.”
Officials say there are **more than 900 suspected cases of Ebola, and 223 suspected deaths**, since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
**Ebola is a rare, severe, and often deadly disease caused by a virus.** There are different strains of Ebola; the current strain identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo is caused by the **Bundibugyo virus**. The initial symptoms appear suddenly and are flu-like, such as a **fever, headache, and tiredness**. The largest ever outbreak of the disease was in 2014-16, when **28,600 people in West Africa were infected**.
The **World Health Organization (WHO)** said the disease may be spreading faster than originally thought and has declared a **public health emergency of international concern**.
On Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is due to travel to DR Congo, said the **Ebola outbreak is outpacing urgent efforts to scale up a response**, adding that responders were “playing catch-up.”
Ebola has also been reported in DR Congo’s North and South Kivu provinces, as well as in **neighboring Uganda, where there have been seven confirmed cases**.
Elaborating on what his province needs, Kashama explained **”qualified personnel” should be deployed** as soon as possible and **”secure treatment centers” established**. Angry relatives trying to claim the bodies of loved ones who had reportedly died of Ebola have **targeted two treatment centers**.
“Our existing resources were dedicated to the war, and this second war that is now upon us demands even more,” he said on RFI.
Ituri has been under military rule since 2021, when the civilian authority was replaced by a military general in an attempt to neutralize dozens of armed groups which have operated in the area for many years. These include the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), affiliated with the Islamic State group.
“And lastly, we need to **mobilize financial resources** – they must be made available,” the governor said. “The more time we lose, the closer we come to disaster.”
On Saturday, the head of the **Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)** met with health ministers from DR Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan to finalize their **cross-border coordination** in response to the outbreak. Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said they also agreed on a **$319 million (£236 million) budget to stop the outbreak from spreading**. He told BBC World Service’s Newsday on Monday that **10% of the money had been secured from the affected countries**. On the same day, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged an **initial $5 million to support the plan**. Kaseya added that African businessmen will be meeting later this week to **”raise additional funds”**, while international partners were also “committing funds.”
Africa CDC has warned that other countries on the continent – namely **Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia – were at risk from an outbreak**.
This outbreak is the **17th to have emerged in DR Congo** since Ebola was discovered in 1976. It is only the **third worldwide of the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola**, which has not been seen in over a decade. There are currently **no vaccines or medications that target Bundibugyo**, but vaccines are currently in development. Last week, the WHO said it could take **up to nine months for a vaccine to be ready**.
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