1
RESEARCH METHODS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
Student’s Name
Course
Professor’s Name
University
City (State)
Date
, 2
Introduction
Ebola has been reported severally in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the
early 1970 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2023). The same year the DRC
was again vulnerable to one of the worst Ebola outbreaks which has ever been experienced. This
outbreak proved that the country still has no idea how to contain the virus spread. Failure to curb
the attack could also be due to the type of health attack and or challenges within the health sector
of the economy. The peculiarity of this paper is to outline main features of Ebola outbreak in the
DRC, and the actions taken by the government and international society to prevent such sort of
viral attack.
The 2018 Ebola Outbreak in the DRC
Ebola did not die off completely in DRC region, and hence it is quite hard to quantify the
raw mortality rate for Ebola in same region because the virus is still active and is known to
spread fast (Mbala-Kingebeni et al., 2019). According to WHO, specific case fatality ratio has
previously been documented in prior outbreaks of Ebola varying between 25 % to 90 %. But
still, the number of deaths caused by the current outbreak is still not clear since there are difficult
for authors to collect and report data. Such issues cause people’s concern and explain why Ebola
is on the list of world health concerns. It requires coordinated worldwide attention due to its
potential for international dissemination.
The topographical features and sociopolitical factors are also on the side of the country
that explains why Ebola spreads faster (Rupani et al., 2022) The DRC is one of the biggest
countries in Africa, which does have regions that are barely accessible. The affected populations
in these areas are hard to reach by health professionals given that they often lack some of the
, 3
basics infrastructure. They add that measures to slow the virus spread and safeguard healthcare
workers are also challenged by active violence in some sections of the country.
Ituri and North Kivu are the regions in the eastern area of the DRC and the beginning of
the 2018 Ebola outbreak was recorded in August the same year (World Health Organization,
2019a) Previous Ebola outbreak prior to the one that hit west Africa in 2014/2016 has occurred
in this region with another outbreak killing more than 11,000 people (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2019a). In as much as the DRC has a complicated relationship with the
Ebola virus as indicated by the 2018 outbreak, the country has experienced ten rates of the
disease beginning from 1976.
When the 2018 Ebola outbreak was considered over in June 2020, 2,287 had killed
persons, while 3,470 cases had been recorded (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
2020). The current outbreak coupled with the one witnessed in West Africa from December 2013
to June 2016 was only surpassed by the largest ever Ebola outbreak. Its high death toll and fast
virus spread during the 2018 outbreak demonstrated the features of the DRC’s challenges to
managing Ebola outbreaks (Maxmen, 2019)
One of the reasons the 2018 Ebola outbreak became severe is that the afflicted locations
were some of the most exposed areas. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern provinces –
North Kivu and Ituri in particular – remain contaminated with political violence that began
decades ago. The responses to the outbreak have been very difficult for the DRC government and
international humanitarian agencies due to the environment that is characterized by violence and
insecurity.
, 4
The DRC's Healthcare System and Government Response
Poor health care, ill-equipped and insufficiently funded, was the theater of the
Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak. According to the World Bank, at present only
4% of DRC government’s GDP is spent on health, whereas it is recommended that, at least, 15%
should be spent for this sector (World Bank, 2018). The nation’s Ebola preparedness capabilities
have been rendered ineffective by overall lack of numerous healthcare facilities, adequate
equipment, and qualified personnel that a lack of investment in the healthcare delivery system
has induced. The main theme is a seemingly vicious cycle that too little funding creates
insufficient health care facilities, personnel, and equipment as well as medical supplies.
Civilians continue suffering from malnutrition due to the battles extending from the
country’s eastern regions, which negatively impacted its healthcare system. Due to the many
attacks on or destruction/damage of most health facilities by conflict, and armed groups posing
threats and attacks to healthcare givers, among others, it is very challenging to render essential
health services to the affected regions (Médecins Sans Frontières, 2018).
The measures adopted by DRC government regarding the fight against 2018 Ebola
outbreak included the actions from the governmental WHO with the support of other foreign
partners. These included sending out of vaccination teams, construction of Ebola treatment
centers, contact tracing and surveillance (World Health Organization, 2019b).
To discourage the spread of the virus, the authorities also restricted mobility and shut
borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, 2018). These measures were taken as a way of containing the
spread of the virus to other parts of the nation and the region especially to other affected districts.
RESEARCH METHODS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
Student’s Name
Course
Professor’s Name
University
City (State)
Date
, 2
Introduction
Ebola has been reported severally in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the
early 1970 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2023). The same year the DRC
was again vulnerable to one of the worst Ebola outbreaks which has ever been experienced. This
outbreak proved that the country still has no idea how to contain the virus spread. Failure to curb
the attack could also be due to the type of health attack and or challenges within the health sector
of the economy. The peculiarity of this paper is to outline main features of Ebola outbreak in the
DRC, and the actions taken by the government and international society to prevent such sort of
viral attack.
The 2018 Ebola Outbreak in the DRC
Ebola did not die off completely in DRC region, and hence it is quite hard to quantify the
raw mortality rate for Ebola in same region because the virus is still active and is known to
spread fast (Mbala-Kingebeni et al., 2019). According to WHO, specific case fatality ratio has
previously been documented in prior outbreaks of Ebola varying between 25 % to 90 %. But
still, the number of deaths caused by the current outbreak is still not clear since there are difficult
for authors to collect and report data. Such issues cause people’s concern and explain why Ebola
is on the list of world health concerns. It requires coordinated worldwide attention due to its
potential for international dissemination.
The topographical features and sociopolitical factors are also on the side of the country
that explains why Ebola spreads faster (Rupani et al., 2022) The DRC is one of the biggest
countries in Africa, which does have regions that are barely accessible. The affected populations
in these areas are hard to reach by health professionals given that they often lack some of the
, 3
basics infrastructure. They add that measures to slow the virus spread and safeguard healthcare
workers are also challenged by active violence in some sections of the country.
Ituri and North Kivu are the regions in the eastern area of the DRC and the beginning of
the 2018 Ebola outbreak was recorded in August the same year (World Health Organization,
2019a) Previous Ebola outbreak prior to the one that hit west Africa in 2014/2016 has occurred
in this region with another outbreak killing more than 11,000 people (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2019a). In as much as the DRC has a complicated relationship with the
Ebola virus as indicated by the 2018 outbreak, the country has experienced ten rates of the
disease beginning from 1976.
When the 2018 Ebola outbreak was considered over in June 2020, 2,287 had killed
persons, while 3,470 cases had been recorded (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
2020). The current outbreak coupled with the one witnessed in West Africa from December 2013
to June 2016 was only surpassed by the largest ever Ebola outbreak. Its high death toll and fast
virus spread during the 2018 outbreak demonstrated the features of the DRC’s challenges to
managing Ebola outbreaks (Maxmen, 2019)
One of the reasons the 2018 Ebola outbreak became severe is that the afflicted locations
were some of the most exposed areas. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern provinces –
North Kivu and Ituri in particular – remain contaminated with political violence that began
decades ago. The responses to the outbreak have been very difficult for the DRC government and
international humanitarian agencies due to the environment that is characterized by violence and
insecurity.
, 4
The DRC's Healthcare System and Government Response
Poor health care, ill-equipped and insufficiently funded, was the theater of the
Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak. According to the World Bank, at present only
4% of DRC government’s GDP is spent on health, whereas it is recommended that, at least, 15%
should be spent for this sector (World Bank, 2018). The nation’s Ebola preparedness capabilities
have been rendered ineffective by overall lack of numerous healthcare facilities, adequate
equipment, and qualified personnel that a lack of investment in the healthcare delivery system
has induced. The main theme is a seemingly vicious cycle that too little funding creates
insufficient health care facilities, personnel, and equipment as well as medical supplies.
Civilians continue suffering from malnutrition due to the battles extending from the
country’s eastern regions, which negatively impacted its healthcare system. Due to the many
attacks on or destruction/damage of most health facilities by conflict, and armed groups posing
threats and attacks to healthcare givers, among others, it is very challenging to render essential
health services to the affected regions (Médecins Sans Frontières, 2018).
The measures adopted by DRC government regarding the fight against 2018 Ebola
outbreak included the actions from the governmental WHO with the support of other foreign
partners. These included sending out of vaccination teams, construction of Ebola treatment
centers, contact tracing and surveillance (World Health Organization, 2019b).
To discourage the spread of the virus, the authorities also restricted mobility and shut
borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, 2018). These measures were taken as a way of containing the
spread of the virus to other parts of the nation and the region especially to other affected districts.
