Research On Ebola Outbreak Response In The Democratic Republic Of Congo

In the 44 years since the first Ebola outbreak in the DRC in 1976,the country has experienced 10 epidemics,making it the country that has known and suffered so much from the Ebola outbreak.The latest outbreak,in August 2018,was the second largest Ebola outbreak in West Africa after the 2013-2015 epidemic.Unlike many previous outbreaks,the current Ebola virus is highly pathogenic and mutates significantly,posing new challenges for treatment and prevention.While the epidemic spread rapidly,with high casualties,to neighboring countries,the DRC's response was overshadowed by a domestic crisis of violence and mistrust,political recess and conspiracy theories.The outbreak of the epidemic quickly drew the attention of the world,and governments and international organizations,including the DRC,paid extensive attention and intervened,becoming an important supporting force in the outbreak's response.In the face of the epidemic,the DRC Government acted swiftly and took a series of preventive and control measures.These measures include: strengthening outbreak surveillance and establishing Ebola treatment centres;monitoring cases or tracking transmission;quarantining suspected or confirmed cases;raising public awareness;conducting vaccination campaigns;providing safe drinking water in affected areas;supervising safe and dignified burials;and strengthening cross-border surveillance,among other conventional measures that have worked in other areas.However,the limited administrative and management capacity of the DRC Government,as well as insecurity in the affected areas,have frequently rendered these otherwise symptomatic responses ineffective.The United States,European Union countries,China and other world powers have participated in various forms in the response to the epidemic.The United States,which has contributed $196 million through USAID and CDC,is the largest donor to the epidemic in the DRC,and its active action in the areas of disease surveillance,infection prevention and control,safe and decent burials,and water sanitation is of great importance for the rapid detection of cases and for reducing the spread of the epidemic.Within the framework of the European Union,European countries have contributed significantly to the Ebola response in the DRC through the deployment of front-line medical teams,life-saving measures for the prevention and control of infectious diseases,strong measures for cooperation and disease awareness-raising among local communities to prevent and control outbreaks,the provision of health services and safe and decent burials.China is also an important player in the health sector in Africa,and in this Ebola response,China has provided indispensable and important assistance to the Ebola response in the DRC,mainly by providing health infrastructure,medical equipment,medical supplies,donating funds for the Ebola response,transferring health knowledge through a shared approach,and improving the treatment capacity of medical personnel and institutions.In the face of the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC,various international organizations are actively engaged in various forms of international response.First,WHO,the world health authority,is coordinating field operations to mobilize national funding for the Ebola response and the registration of pilot vaccines.WHO is the international organization that has deployed the most resources and personnel in the high-risk areas of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC.Similarly,the World Bank is committed to front-line response,strengthening health systems and preparedness to reduce the risk of virus transmission.The Ebola response in the DRC also involved NGOs,with Médecins Sans Frontières and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency providing expertise on best practices in water,sanitation and hygiene for the Ebola outbreak response in the DRC.Although the DRC Government and the international community have responded actively to the current Ebola epidemic,the causes of the epidemic are deep and complex and are persistent and cannot be effectively eradicated.First,the political disorder in the DRC has led to the frequent failure of various health projects,and the outbreak of the epidemic in a politically unstable and protracted region of the DRC has not only prevented effective communication and coordination of anti-pandemic initiatives within the Government,but has also been used by opposition forces to perpetuate violent disputes and to bring the epidemic response project to a halt.Second,the lack of planned external assistance makes the international response ineffective.The large number of external response organizations and agencies providing various types of assistance based on their own experience,and the lack of specialized institutions and personnel in the DRC for such assistance,make it impossible to effectively coordinate the flow of large amounts of assistance to the areas and populations most in need.Thirdly,the fragile DRC health system is unable to respond to the emergencies that are constantly occurring in the country.The strategic response plan put in place by the DRC Government,which had brought the epidemic under control,has repeatedly caused significant obstacles to the implementation of the Government's actions,including violent disputes during operations,the inadequacy of the health system and the severe shortage of medical professionals and supplies.Fourth,the actual effects of the various response measures are far from their predicted effects,given the constraints of government administrative capacity.