Following a surge in Ebola deaths, emergency supplies from the World Health Organization arrive in Congo.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

The World Health Organization has intensified its emergency operations in eastern Republic Congo Democracy after the country recorded 136 deaths and about 543 suspected cases of Ebola, according to Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba, while medical supplies and international experts arrive in Bunia as authorities battle the rapidly spreading Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

12 tons of medical supplies delivered to Congo to combat Ebola

The World Health Organization delivered 12 tons of emergency medical supplies to Bunia in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan.

The shipment included personal protective equipment, infection prevention kits, tents, and medical supplies for frontline health workers.

More than 40 medical experts arrived in Bunia on May 19 to bolster the response.

Footage released by Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, showed the unloading of additional emergency supplies as aid agencies stepped up their efforts to contain the virus.

The outbreak could last for months

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “very concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” warning that the outbreak could be prolonged.

The UN health agency has already declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, and that the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, a rare strain previously detected in Uganda in 2007 and in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012.

The mortality rate ranges between 30 and 50. %

Health officials say the death rate from this type of virus is between 30 and 50 %.

World Health Organization representative Ann Ancia said a candidate vaccine called Ervebo is being considered, but it could take at least two months before it becomes available.

Conflict zones complicate the response process.

Health authorities say the response has been slowed by insecurity and poor access to conflict-affected areas in eastern Congo.

At Ruambara Hospital in Ituri County, medical staff reported a severe shortage of protective equipment and isolation facilities.

The epidemic has already spread beyond Ituri to neighboring provinces, including North Kivu, where suspected cases have been reported in Butembo and a confirmed case has been recorded in Goma, a town currently under the control of M23 fighters.

Congolese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege has called on the Rwandan-backed group to reopen Goma airport to facilitate humanitarian operations.

International concern

Uganda has confirmed two cases of Ebola linked to Congolese nationals who crossed the border, and Germany is preparing to treat an American doctor who contracted the virus while working in the region.

The United States announced screening procedures at airports for travelers arriving from affected areas and temporarily suspended visa services.

Washington advised its citizens to avoid traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda, while urging caution when traveling to Rwanda.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had provided $13 million in aid and expressed hope that about 50 Ebola treatment clinics would be opened in the Democratic Republic of Congo.