DRC: Ebola response failing to gain the upper hand on the epidemic (07.03.2019)

The Ebola response must take a new turn.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 7, 2019 – Seven months into the largest ever Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Ebola response is failing to bring the epidemic under control in a climate of deepening community mistrust, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said at a press conference in Geneva today. Since the beginning of the year, more than 40% of new cases are people who died of Ebola in the communities. At the epicenter of the epidemic, in Katwa and Butembo, 43% of patients in the last three weeks were still being infected without known links to other cases.

“We have a striking contradiction: on the one hand a rapid and large outbreak response with new medical tools such as vaccines and treatments that show promising outcomes when people come early  –  and on the other hand, people with Ebola are dying in their communities, and do not trust the Ebola response enough to come forward,” said International President of MSF, Dr. Joanne Liu.

Last week, MSF suspended its Ebola activities in Katwa and Butembo, in North Kivu province, after successive attacks on the two treatment centres. While MSF does not know the motives or identities of the attackers, these incidents follow an escalation of tensions around the Ebola response.  Dozens of security incidents occurred against the response as a whole in the month of February alone. While the causes of these acts are not all the same, it is clear that various political, social and economic grievances are increasingly crystalizing around the response.

A range of issues have led to these tensions: from the massive deployment of financial resources focusing only on Ebola, in a neglected region suffering from conflict, violence and long standing health needs; to elections being officially postponed due to the Ebola outbreak,  exacerbating suspicions that Ebola is a political ploy.

The use of police and armed forces to compel people to comply with health measures against Ebola is leading to further alienation of the community and is counterproductive to controlling the epidemic.  Using coercion for activities such as safe burials, tracking of contacts and admission into treatment centres discourages people from coming forward and pushes them into hiding.

The Ebola response must take a new turn. Choices must be given back to patients and their families on how to manage the disease. Vaccination for Ebola must reach more people, and more vaccines are needed for this. Other dire health needs of communities should be addressed. And coercion must not be used as a tactic to track and treat patients, enforce safe burials or decontaminate homes.

“Ebola is a brutal disease, bringing fear, and isolation to patients, families and health care providers,” said Dr. Joanne Liu, “The Ebola response needs to become patient and community centered. Patients must be treated as patients, and not as some kind of biothreat”.

Seven months since the beginning of the current Ebola outbreak in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, there have been 907 cases of Ebola cases (841 confirmed and 66 probable) and 569 people have died. [source: World Health Organization (WHO) report week 9]

Further to the suspension of its activities in Katwa and Butembo, MSF has maintained its Ebola-related activities in the North Kivu towns of Kayna and Lubéru, as well as its management of two Ebola transit  facilities in Ituri province, in the towns of Bwanasura and Bunia. In the city of Goma, MSF has been supporting emergency preparedness by reinforcing the surveillance system and ensuring there is adequate capacity to manage suspected cases.

It has almost been six years, since 11 July 2013, that three MSF staff remain missing after being abducted in Kamango, Nord Kivu, where they were carrying out a health assessment. MSF continues to search for them.

Opinion: Tshisekedi is officially Kabila’s puppet!

As the announced results in the recent election in Democratic Republic of Congo was coming in. There was clear speculation of secret meetings between CACH and FCC. That was happening as the announced successor came from the “opposition” and not the “heir”.

Yesterday, the reality of those came into motion, as the Kabila Party are going in Coalition Government with newly minted President Felix Tshisekedi. The Joint CACH-FCC announcement, which shows the reality and its ugly face.

You cannot make this up… this is not speculations, not political satire or drama. However, the smartly configured scenario, where the head of state is still controlled by the former one. Tshisekedi is in the mercy of Kabila. No matter where he moves and adjust. He needs the blessing of Kabila. That is the mere reality of the scheme. To say otherwise at this point is to be naïve and blind to the reality.

Because CACH, Vital Kamerhe and Felix Tshisekedi is both now on a journey, where the captain is Kabila. Whether they like it or not. Because the Parliament and elsewhere, Kabila’s men is lingering. They are there to either stifle or shift the ways, because CACH doesn’t have the capacity nor representation to fight with the FCC. That is why the whole play for the façade is now broken. By yesterday’s announcement.

If you ever thought Kabila left, you were wrong son. Terribly wrong. He is just right there. In the midst of power, playing the guards and the public, being a shadow actor. Kabila now uses that position and ways in a clever way, that he still gets the benefits without the hazel of being in office.

The ones that thought this was a transition and a peaceful one that, you were wrong. It was a trade-off, made in January before the announcement of the results. To certify the President and ensure the power of Kabila would still be there. That is why his been so relaxed and jolly. That is why he hasn’t made a fuzz or made any spectacle. Because, he don’t have too.

We can play along, but by every day and every announcement like this. It is clear that Tshisekedi is Kabila’s puppet. A man who has the office, but has to sufficiently serve his master. Peace.

RDC: Communique Conjoint FCC – CACH (06.03.2019)

RDC: PPRD – Communique (05.03.2019)

RDC: Bruno Tshibala Nzenzhe lettre au President Felix Tshisekedi – “Concerne: Organisation des interims des membres du Gouverement” (05.03.2019)

RDC: B.C.C lettre au President Felix Tshisekendi – “Concerne: Votre deplacement a Kingakati” (05.03.2019)

RDC: FCC – A tous chefs de regroupements membres du FCC (03.03.2019)

RDC: Hon. Jean-Paul Lumbulumbu Mutanava – Communique de Presse (04.03.2019)

RDC: Communique de Presse de l’ONG Humanitaire ALIMA a l’Intention de la population de la Ville de Butembo et des Territoires de Beni et Lubero (01.03.2019)

RDC: Répondant à une requête adressée par le député provincial Jean-Paul Lumbulumbu, le cmdt de la 34è région militaire des FARDC au Nord-Kivu, le Général de brigage Edmond Ilunga rappelle l’interdiction de l’érection de barrière payante sur des axes routiers par des militaires (28.02.2019)