WHO raises alarm and asks for help fighting growing Ebola outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursdayraised alarm against a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and warned of an imminent shortage of funds to fight the deadly disease.

56 cases have been reported in Equator province, which is greater than the total number of cases recorded in the province's last outbreak in 2018 according to the organisation.

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According to Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa, ''Efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have complicated the response to the Ebola outbreak.''

"We must not let Covid-19 distract us from tackling other pressing health threats. The current Ebola outbreak is running into headwinds because cases are scattered across remote areas in dense rainforests," Moeti said.

$1.75 millionhas been mobilised to combat the Ebola outbreak by the WHO on June 1, but that will only last a few more weeks.

Additional funding to help with vaccinations, testing, contact tracing, treatment and health education. For this Moeti has called for help.

Another Ebola outbreak in the east of the country was declared over June 25 after two years. 2,280 people had died in the previous outbreak.

Executive director of the WHO's emergency health programme, Michael Ryan, who has worked extensively on Ebola, said Monday that as of Sunday there were 17 deaths from confirmed Ebola cases and three more from suspected cases.

''While the numbers may appear low, the threat of spread is worrisome, especially because of the extreme logistical problems for health care workers to access remote, affected communities'' said Ryan.

"Any one of those individual cases can result in amplification of the disease," he added.

Over 12,000 people have been vaccinated in Equator in the six weeks since the outbreak started, beginning four days after the outbreak was declared according to Moeti.