Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
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Introduction
The latest Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak in the history of the disease.
The epidemic began at the end of 2013, in Guinea. From there it spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. Many of the affected countries face enormous challenges in stopping its spread and providing care for all patients.
Thousands of people have died and many are at risk as the fatality rate from this virus is very high. As the crisis worsens, as well as the enormous health challenges involved, the social and economic consequences may set these countries back, reversing some gains a number of these countries have made in recent years.
Where does the Ebola virus come from?
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, the initial human infection comes from contact with an infected animal, most likely a bat. From there, human to human transmission spreads the disease.
Virus Ecology Graphic
, CDC, August 1, 2014As The Guardian has noted, drugs and vaccines for Ebola has typically been low priority for the main drugs companies although now there is a new focus and sense of urgency:
Until now, pharmaceutical firms have given Ebola very low priority. The few potential drugs and vaccines under development are now being sped into trials. Healthy volunteers in the UK and US have been injected with a candidate vaccine to test safety. Drug trials will soon be set up in west Africa, but they are several months away and there is no certainty that they will work.
As has been mentioned on this site for years, unfortunately diseases affecting the poorest countries the worst have typically received little attention or investment, sometimes as there isn’t any profit in it for drugs companies, which raises a whole set of other issues about drug treatments and access to essential medicines.
Tackling the spread of the Ebola virus
The CDC also notes that strict isolation of infected patients is essential to reduce onward transmission.
In addition, as a number of these countries are quite poor, aid and health assistance is quite essential as resources are limited for already strained budgets and health departments. While aid has been slow to come, aid on its own will not help; there is a general lack of enough trained staff, basic equipment and appropriate medical facilities to handle the number of people needing care. And that doesn’t even cover the additional services that could be needed for thousands of people who have lost many loved ones, including entire families.
News stories from IPS
Below is a list of stories from Inter Press Service related to this latest Ebola virus outbreak.
DR Congo Ebola outbreak: Unrest fuelled by armed groups holds back response
- UN News
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to spread amid repeated and ongoing deadly attacks on civilians and frontline health workers by armed groups that are obstructing efforts to stop transmission, UN responders said on Friday.
Kenya begins countdown towards end of Ebola after last patient discharged
- UN News
Kenya began a 42-day countdown to the end of its Ebola outbreak on Thursday, a day after the last patient being treated for the disease went home and 11 people were released from quarantine.
Ebola: IOM urges wider surveillance beyond formal routes in DR Congo
- UN News
Seventy-one confirmed Ebola cases have been detected along transit routes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the outbreak began almost six months ago, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
Two new Ebola vaccines to join DR Congo clinical trial
- UN News
Two new Ebola vaccine candidates will be added to a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the country continues to battle a deadly outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus.
DR Congo: Hunger deepens for millions amid conflict, Ebola and climate shocks
- UN News
More than 28 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are not getting enough to eat and the number is expected to tick up in the coming months, according to the latest alert from the IPC global food security monitor.
DR Congo: WHO urges sustained efforts as Ebola cases top 10,000
- UN News
As Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) surpass the 10,000 mark, the World Health Organization (WHO) has underlined the need for continued efforts to contain spread of the disease.
Kenya: 20 Ebola contacts released from quarantine
- UN News
Twenty people associated with Kenya’s first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease have been reunited with their families after being released from quarantine following completion of the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.
Ebola: UN officials condemn killing of nurse in DR Congo
- UN News
The UN’s Ebola coordinator and the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) have deplored the killing of a nurse working to halt the spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
‘Burden and loss’ builds in DR Congo, as Kenya strengthens Ebola containment
- UN News
As Ebola continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), more resources are needed to fight the disease and feed patients and families, UN agencies said on Friday.
DR Congo: Ebola responders under pressure as outbreak expands
- UN News
As the deadly Ebola disease outbreak reached an eighth province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), investigators pursued all leads on Thursday to assess the risk of the disease spreading in Nigeria.
WHO supports Nigeria after first Ebola case confirmed
- UN News
The World Health Organization (WHO) is assisting Nigeria following confirmation of the first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the country.
Ebola Spread Raises Fresh Urgency for Africa’s Domestic Health Funding
- Inter Press Service
BULAWAYO, October 16 (IPS) - An Ebola death last week in Kenya is highlighting the urgency of Africa’s public health emergency preparedness and how the continent’s governments are committing their national budgets to the health sector.
WHO scales up Ebola readiness in 22 countries across three continents
- UN News
The World Health Organization (WHO) is strengthening Ebola preparedness amid conflict and displacement affecting millions of lives in a region that spans parts of Africa, Asia and Europe.
WHO urges vigilance after Kenya confirms second Ebola case
- UN News
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to support Kenya’s efforts to contain Ebola after a second person tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus, the UN agency’s representative in the country said on Thursday.
DR Congo: Cholera cases spike amid fight against Ebola
- UN News
The cholera epidemic continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where more than 125,000 suspected cases and 3,644 suspected deaths were recorded between January 2025 and the end of September 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.
Kenya races to trace all contacts after first Ebola death, WHO official says
- UN News
Kenya’s first Ebola death has triggered a race to trace everyone the victim came into contact with, as the United Nations and partners provide full support, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) top official in the country has told UN News in her first interview on the case.
‘Ebola takes the people children depend on’: UNICEF
- UN News
The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is robbing children of their loved ones – with some succumbing to the deadly disease themselves, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Tuesday.
Ebola response faces setback as transit centre burns down in DR Congo camp
- UN News
The enormous challenge of halting the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) just became even harder after a key transit centre for patients requiring treatment burned down in Ituri province.
DRC: Early access to care and oxygen decisive for Ebola patients’ survival – WHO
- UN News
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers fighting the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak are struggling to overcome critical challenges to patient care, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
Security Council LIVE: DRC peace deals fail to halt fighting as Ebola deepens crisis
- UN News
The Security Council is meeting in New York on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Tuesday, where clashes between Government forces and M23 rebels continue in the east despite a series of peace agreements. Ambassadors are likely to focus on ceasefire monitoring, rising tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, and the country’s worst Ebola outbreak on record.
DR Congo Ebola emergency: Calls grow for urgent humanitarian access
- UN News
Aid teams trying to keep deadly Ebola disease from spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are increasingly concerned about ongoing fighting and violence that has forced thousands of people to flee a displacement camp in the vast, resource-rich east of the country.
DR Congo Ebola outbreak toll exceeds 3,700 deaths
- UN News
More than 130 days into the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health experts said on Wednesday that response efforts have been scaled up significantly and “the first encouraging signs of progress” are now being seen.
Ebola vaccine trial begins in DR Congo
- UN News
An Ebola vaccine trial is underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), involving frontline health workers and others involved in the response.
Women and girls pay high price in DR Congo Ebola outbreak
- UN News
The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has taken a disproportionate toll on women and girls, many of whom are on the frontlines caring for patients as well as their own families despite the high risk of infection.
Ebola responders grapple with widening outbreak in DR Congo
- UN News
The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground.
Ebola response in eastern DR Congo must include food aid, WFP says
- UN News
As Ebola sweeps across the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ensuring families meet their basic food needs is crucial to halt the spread of the deadly disease.
WHO Announces New Ebola Vaccine Guidelines for the DRC
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, September 4 (IPS) - While Uganda announced the end of its Ebola outbreak last week, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to battle its deadliest Ebola outbreak to date. As of September 1st, there have been over 6,000 cases, including over 3,000 deaths, with Ituri standing as the most affected province.
Response must outpace spread of Ebola: UN relief chief
- UN News
The world must move faster to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is growing exponentially, the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator warned on Tuesday.
Uganda Announces End of Ebola Outbreak, Yet Regional Risks Remain
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, August 28 (IPS) - Following 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case, The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have announced the end of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
UN chief condemns “indifference” as Ebola cases mount in DR Congo
- UN News
The Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) requires “urgent” action and funding to rein in its alarming spread, the UN Secretary-General told reporters at UN Headquarters on Thursday.
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