Ebola outbreaks keep defying control in Congo despite sustained efforts — Here’s why

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern, by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In addtion, Aid workers face growing challenges containing Ebola in Congo’s displacement camps amid rising mistrust.

After the Kpangba displacement camp became the first in this part of war-torn Congo to record deaths from Ebola two weeks ago, health ‌workers rushed to trace those who had come into contact with the deceased to break chains of transmission but it became quiet challenging.

Health workers say the latest outbreak is challenging because it involves a rare species of Ebola for which there is no vaccine, and the epicentre is in an area affected by conflict.

Jean-Claude Lonzama, the chief doctor for the local health zone of Nizi, a heavily populated mining area said, workers from the provincial health ministry, WHO and other aid agencies were forced away by reluctant locals who denied that the two women had died from Ebola.

"Up to this day, we are not able to follow up on the contacts of these cases," Lonzama told Reuters on Saturday.

The standoff has left health authorities flying blind as they try to stave off a surge of Ebola cases in this camp of around 30,000 people, most of whom have fled inter-ethnic violence in surrounding areas.

"We have 22 displaced persons sites in the Nizi health zone ... with around 81,124 residents," Lonzama said. "This is also our great worry because no preventive measures have been put in place in these sites aside from a few educational messages."

Since the outbreak was declared a month ago, several treatment sites have been attacked by locals angry about not being able to bury their loved ones because of precautions taken to keep the virus from spreading or convinced Ebola is a hoax.