The 2018–2020 Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Better Response Had Been Achieved Through Inter-State Coordination in Africa

Abstract

The Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe and often fatal zoonosis in humans. The 2013–2016 West African Ebola outbreak had distinctive characteristics, and it was the largest and most complex epidemic since the virus discovery in 1976. Although the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had many similarities, there were additional challenges due to the presence of armed rebel groups at the epicenters of the epidemic. Despite these challenges, the extraordinary commitment of the World Health Organization (WHO) regional office for Africa, in collaboration with Africa Union (AU) member states through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and WHO’s prompt declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) shepherded an effective coordinated response to contain the epidemic. Learning from previous Ebola virus epidemics and the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the AU member states should strengthen inter-state coordination towards the development and implementation of a preparedness and readiness plan which will enable the continent to build and sustain resilient capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to future outbreaks following the International Health Regulations (IHR).