An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has raged in Africa for over a year. Despite heroic efforts by health care workers, the disease continues to claim lives and there are fears that it could now spread more widely. Suspicions, uncertainties and opportunism are hindering efforts to combat this horrific disease. The world must do more to combat this outbreak and prevent future ones.
Last Sunday, a Japanese woman who recently returned from a visit to Congo tested negative for Ebola infection — which was suspected when she suffered from high fever upon her return. The government here is stepping up efforts to contain infections at the border.
Over a year ago, Ebola appeared in eastern Congo, the 10th outbreak in that country. Health officials and workers responded quickly, identifying and isolating infected individuals, raising consciousness of the disease among local communities and promoting vaccination efforts. Nonetheless, it is officially estimated that 2,700 people have been infected with the virus, and about 1,800 have died; nearly 150 of the infected have been health care workers. While this is an order of magnitude less than the outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people in west Africa between 2014 and 2016, it is the second worst the world has ever witnessed.