The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned that health facilities in the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo are overwhelmed, with essential supplies running out.
The organization said on Monday that more resources are urgently needed to contain the outbreak, as stocks of clean water and protective equipment near exhaustion.
The IFRC has launched an appeal for 20 million Swiss francs ($25 million) to help fight the spread of the virus in Bulape, located in central Congo.
The outbreak, the country’s first in three years, was declared in early September, Reuters reported.
Congo’s dense tropical forests act as a natural reservoir for the Ebola virus, which causes fever, body aches, and diarrhoea, and can remain in the bodies of survivors, resurfacing years later.
“Health facilities are overwhelmed, essential supplies are not available, and the area is without power,” Ariel Kestens, IFRC Head of Delegation in Kinshasa, said in a statement.
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The World Health Organization reported last week that Congo had recorded 48 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola, with 31 deaths.
According to the IFRC, the main isolation centre in Bulape has limited space for new patients, while the only treatment centre is already operating at 119% capacity.
The federation warned that without immediate resources, the virus could quickly spread across “already fragile communities.”
“Protecting health workers means protecting communities. The DRC needs urgent support, especially in remote and under-resourced areas… it’s about preventing another regional health crisis,” said Gregoire Mateso, President of the DRC Red Cross.
The WHO confirmed it has begun vaccinating frontline health workers and individuals who had contact with Ebola patients in Kasai Province as part of efforts to stop the outbreak from spreading further.
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Image Credit: IFRC
