Global Health Ebola Outbreak Surges to 598 Cases in the DRC

Therefore one would surmise that an organization, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) , may well consider raising their level of concern for the DRC outbreak because of newly emerging circumstances and seeking to globally maintain their commitment to the well being of individuals infected with a deadly virus.

Why This Outbreak Is Serious

This isn't just another disease news story. The current outbreak is being caused by: Bundibugyo virus disease (a very rare type of Ebola), which currently does not have a licensed vaccine or specific treatment; therefore, early detection and supportive care is crucial. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already designated this event as a public health emergency of international concern - this demonstrates that containment is still very important.

Business leaders, even if not in the healthcare industry, must understand that disease transmission through outbreaks will have an immediate impact on labor mobility, supply chain disruptions, cross-border trade, logistics planning and insurance risks. To put it differently, a health emergency in Eastern DRC will immediately become a regional operating risk for businesses.

What the Numbers Tell Us

The actual transmission of disease occurs faster than the reporting of confirmed cases of disease to WHO (this means that initially there is often more of a lag between actual cases and reported cases due to the time required to gather reliable data). Therefore, even though we know that the majority of confirmed new cases are at high risk for further spread in both the DRC and Uganda, the measurement for confirmed new cases may remain unreliable as we start to improve the surveillance systems at our border (the line dividing two countries). However, we do not know how many new cases have potentially occurred due to the lack of timely and accurate reporting from either country during this outbreak.

Why Bundibugyo Changes the Playbook

The current West African outbreak of Ebola is not linked to the more common Ebola-Zaire strain, but instead the far less known Bundibugyo virus; therefore, it is more difficult to control. As a result, WHOs assessment indicates there are no currently approved vaccines or specific treatments for this particular type strain of an Ebola virus however, supportive care could potentially save lives.

As a result, the operational emphasis in responding to an Ebola outbreak is significantly greater than previously experienced by health workers — requiring teams to rely extensively on contact tracing, infection control, isolated quarantines, and engaging with communities rather than assuming that conducting a vaccination program will simply resolve the situation. For governments and humanitarian organisations, doing so presents increased levels of complexity, particularly due to challenges created by war/violence and displacement as well as limited access through poor infrastructure.

The Regional and Business Ripple Effects

The eastern part of the DRC has strong ties with adjacent nations via commerce, migration and trans-border trading. The WHO and its partners have begun studying the necessity for preparedness across borders, screening for safety and working alongside the Government of Uganda in order to implement coordinated efforts to combat outbreaks.

This could result in more travel restrictions, longer product shipment periods, and a greater need for backup plans for companies operating in Central and Eastern Africa. Although there may be minimal, or even negligible risk as assessed by Worldwide Health, at the local level these same risks could create immediate and very costly business disruptions. Just the type of public health issue that can create major logistical problems without much press coverage.

What to Watch Next

Essential indicators for COVID-19 do not just include confirmed cases, confirmed cases and or deaths due to disease. Essential indicators must also include time it takes for the local community to be contacted by local health care providers, treatment capacities of health care facilities within the community, quality of engagement with the community, by the local community compared to communities of similar size for new cases of disease within the health care community or across international borders. According to WHO, in response to the outbreak, they are boosting clinical readiness, supplies, cross-border coordination, and monitoring capability; this strategy is in line with local needs.

In addition to these quantitative measurements, it is important to remember that there are qualitative aspects of the work that are not quantified by means of existing data. Trust is the basis for controlling an outbreak. Without trust between local leaders, local healthcare providers, and local emergency services, outbreaks will not be successfully controlled. If local leaders, local healthcare providers and local emergency services work collaboratively, the response will be improved. However, if the trust between these three groups is lost, the outbreak has increased spread potential.

The lesson from this outbreak is simple: Global health threats do not typically stay in the location in which they originated. The virus in Eastern DRC can easily impact global health governance, response, and the international community's response to early warning signs for outbreaks happening outside the DRC.