The two growing Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea require swift action “to avert catastrophic consequences,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
It is the first official statement from the White House on the recurrence of Ebola in the two African countries. Psaki said President Joe Biden has been briefed on situations in Central and West Africa.
“As the world recedes from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola has re-emerged simultaneously in both Central and West Africa. The world cannot afford to turn elsewhere. said Psaki. “We must do everything in our power to respond quickly, effectively and with proportionate resources to stop these outbreaks before they become large-scale epidemics.”
The World Health Organization announced last week that it had confirmed new cases of Ebola in Butembo, a city in North Kivu province in the DRC. The city was an epicenter of the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak that was declared completed in June. WHO officials said on Friday that it was transporting the vaccine to the hard-to-reach city and that it was competing to contain the highly lethal disease before it spread widely.
Separately, Guinean officials confirmed over the weekend the recurrence of Ebola in N’Zerekore, southern Guinea. On Sunday, after at least three people died and four more people were infected with the disease, the West African nation declared an Ebola epidemic. Neighboring countries, Sierra Leone and Liberia, have put their citizens on high alert.
Unlike the highly infectious coronavirus, which can spread to asymptomatic people, Ebola is believed to spread primarily to people who are already visibly ill. The virus spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of people who are sick or have died from the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ebola has an average mortality rate of 50%, although it can vary depending on the outbreak, according to the WHO.
Psaki said U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke Tuesday with ambassadors from Guinea, the DRC, Sierra Leone and Liberia “to convey the United States’ willingness to work closely” with those countries.
“Mr. Sullivan emphasized President Biden’s commitment to providing U.S. leadership to strengthen health security and create better systems to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies,” Psaki said. “Outbreaks require a quick and overwhelming response to avoid catastrophic consequences.”
The resurgence of Ebola in Guinea and the DRC has global health specialists especially concerned that these countries are experiencing the two worst Ebola outbreaks in history. The outbreak in the DRC, which was declared over in June, lasted almost two years. It was the second largest country in the world and, when it ended, there were 3,481 cases in total and 2,299 deaths, according to the WHO.
According to the WHO, the famous Ebola outbreak in West Africa began in Guinea in 2014 before spreading across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia. At the end of 2016, there were more than 28,000 cases, including more than 11,000 deaths, according to the WHO.
“Since the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the United States has sought to elevate and prioritize health care assistance with partners through the Global Health Security Agenda and with strong support from Congress, ”Psaki added Tuesday. “We cannot afford to get our foot in the door, even as we fight COVID, we need to ensure capacity and funding for health security around the world.”
During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed 11 cases of Ebola in the United States, mostly among medical workers who had traveled to Africa to help with the response. Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of the system-wide special pathogens program at New York Health + Hospitals, told CNBC on Tuesday that the city is working to ensure that outbreak response protocols are up to date.
“Whenever we see an epidemic being declared, at least in New York City, we know we are a travel hub, we need to make sure our staff is up to date with competencies regarding PPE and identification. of these patients, “he said in a telephone interview. “There’s a big problem just to make sure the concept of operations plan is dusted off.”