This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
As the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) enters its second year, concerns are growing about the lack of accurate information on the epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), many cases of infections have gone unreported, further fueling the spread of the disease.
On September 10, 2019, WHO learned of a suspected case of Ebola in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital. However, the patient's contacts had been hidden, and the person had tested positive for Ebola. Two other suspected cases were also not reported.
On September 14, 2019, Tanzanian authorities officially reported that there was no Ebola in the country, but declined independent tests by WHO. This lack of transparency has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the country's response to the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused WHO of rationing the Ebola vaccine in the DRC, where more than 2,100 people have died of the virus. MSF has called for an independent international coordination committee to ensure transparency of stocks management and data sharing.
Despite efforts to contain the outbreak, about 225,000 people have received the Ebola vaccine manufactured by German pharmaceutical giant Merck since August 2018. However, this remains insufficient, and the fight against Ebola can only be successful with the concerted efforts and cooperation of everybody in the affected jurisdiction.
