ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has praised Kenya's "quick and efficient" Ebola containment progress as a continental model against the continued multi-country outbreak, as cumulative confirmed cases surpassed 10,600 amid a mounting death toll.
Addressing an online press briefing on Thursday evening, Wessam Mankoula, an Africa CDC official, warned over the continued Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak's progress, expressing particular concern over the disease's further spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The latest data from the Africa CDC showed that confirmed cases in the ongoing multi-country Ebola outbreak have reached 10,699, with more than 5,202 deaths and a case fatality rate of 48.6 percent. Some 2,900 patients have recovered from the deadly disease.
At week 25, the continued multi-country crisis has evolved into the fastest-growing and second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with twice as many cases and deaths than its next-highest comparator of the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, according to the Africa CDC.
Citing a recent joint survey by the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization that assesses Ebola readiness across 31 African countries, Mankoula voiced concern over critical gaps in key response pillars, including infection prevention and control, case management, and logistics.
"This is a time for all our member states to invest in preparedness and readiness. Having an imported case should not push us to panic as long as we have the minimum capacity at all critical preparedness pillars," he said. "Each country should have strong surveillance system, and screening at points of entry to detect cases quickly. We need to invest in laboratory capacities and in designated facilities to treat the first few cases."
Meanwhile, Africa CDC officials highlighted positive progress in the continent's fight against the deadly virus, with Kenya and Nigeria showcasing encouraging results in outbreak containment efforts.
KENYA SHOWING GOOD MODEL
Kenya, which reported its first imported case on Oct. 6, has so far reported nine confirmed cases and two deaths. The country recorded nine cases out of 669 samples tested, marking a test positivity rate of 1.35 percent, according to Africa CDC. The country has not reported a new case since Oct. 19, while the first five patients have been discharged from treatment centers.
Mankoula acknowledged Kenya's contact follow-up and surveillance efforts, highlighting that the East African country will start a 42-day countdown once the last patient recovers.
"We commend the efforts done by the Kenyan authorities in early detection and also having the measures in place for containing this imported outbreak quickly through identifying all possible contacts, and putting them under quarantine," said Mankoula, adding that contacts that had left Kenya were also communicated with the countries where those contacts traveled to.
"Kenya is showing a good model on how to contain an Ebola outbreak. When we have one imported case, countries should not be panicking. Investing in preparedness and readiness is what enabled Kenya to respond quickly, efficiently, and control the situation so far," Mankoula added.
URGENT CALL FOR FUNDING
Meanwhile, the African Union's specialized continental public health agency has called for an immediate release of pledged funds before the outbreak escalates into a wider crisis.
Recalling a total of around 3 billion U.S. dollars in funding pledges, Mankoula noted that only some 1 billion U.S. dollars of the overall pledged amount has been disbursed by donors so far.
"We are looking for donors to accelerate funding. We need to move from 1 billion U.S. dollars disbursed so far to the 3 billion U.S. dollars that has been pledged for supporting the response, and to continue investing in preparedness capacity," said Mankoula. "This is very critical to our member state to be well-prepared and to respond quickly once we have an imported case."
Beyond the four affected African countries, 10 other nations across the continent have been previously designated as high-risk, namely South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Somalia.
The Africa CDC declared the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on May 18, one day after the World Health Organization declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern.
Ebola is highly contagious and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. ■