Ebola vaccine reaches the epicenter of Congo's outbreak as officials race to contain the disease

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KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Limited access and scarce funds are the key challenges facing health officials trying to respond to the latest Ebola outbreak in southern Congo, the World Health Organization said Friday.

It is the first Ebola outbreak in 18 years in Kasai province, a remote part of Congo with poor road networks, which is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation’s capital of Kinshasa.

A United Nations peacekeeping helicopter was used to help deliver 400 vaccine doses Friday to the outbreak's epicenter, in the locality of Bulape, Patrick Otim, WHO's program area manager, said at a briefing in Geneva.

An additional 1,500 doses will be sent from the capital of Kinshasa, he said.

“We have struggled in the last seven days with access but are collaborating with MONUSCO (U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo) now,” Otim said.

While the WHO and Congolese authorities have “ramped up efforts to have a full scale response” on the ground, “we need to be able to pay for the operations,” he added.

Since the outbreak was confirmed on Sept. 4, the number of suspected cases has increased from 28 to 68, Africa’s top health agency said Thursday. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has so far reported 16 deaths.

Otim said the most recent confirmed case was located 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the current epicenter, though it's still in the same province. “Our worry is if we get cases in the other health zone, we need to expand and it will be resource-intensive,” he said.

WHO’s projected cost for the current outbreak over the next three months is $20 million, while Congo’s national response plan is estimated at $78 million, said Otim.

A major concern for health officials has been the impact of recent U.S. funding cuts. The U.S. had supported the response to Congo’s past Ebola outbreaks, including in 2021 when the U.S. Agency for International Development provided up to $11.5 million to support efforts across Africa.

At least four health workers are among the confirmed cases, according to Mathias Mossoko, Congo's Ebola response coordinator in Bulape.

“For now, our priority is to vaccinate health care workers. Given the number of cases and deaths among health care providers, protecting these front line workers is essential to ensure the population receives adequate care,” he said.

At least 94% of the suspected cases’ contacts — more than 600 people — have been traced with only one so far confirmed to be infected, Mossoko said, adding that there's minimal risk of the disease spreading to other provinces.

“At this stage, it is not yet appropriate to declare a public health emergency,” he said.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said its team is assisting in the response and worked with the WHO to establish an Ebola treatment center at the Bulape hospital.

“We helped reinforce triage protocols, supplied essential medicines and personal protective equipment, and conducted training in infection prevention and control and symptomatic care,” said Brice de le Vingne, the group’s emergency coordinator.

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Asadu reported from Dakar, Senegal.