Ebola Outbreak in Congo Essay

Democratic Republic of the Congo Public Health Concerns and Crisis

The mission of public health sectors in nations across the globe is to promote the fulfillment of the interests of the society in assuring conditions in which individuals can be healthy (Schneider & Schneider, 2016). However, public health sectors in different parts of the world experience various challenges and concerns that pose threats to the health and wellbeing of populations. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an example of a country that faces a public health concern or crisis relating to the Ebola outbreak. The country has witnessed an increase in the number of Ebola cases in recent months. As such cases continue to increase, Congo’s public health sector experiences significant logistical challenges in dealing with the outbreak. This paper discusses the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo based on current area statistics.

Public Health Concerns and Crisis

Public health is an issue that continues to attract attention among different stakeholders as it continues to be the subject of many public discourses. While public health stories dominate many public conversations, it is an abstract concept that is relatively difficult to pin down. Public health professionals and other relevant stakeholders are constantly faced with the need to maintain the health and wellbeing of the population (Schneider & Schneider, 2016). However, these professionals and stakeholders face numerous challenges that hinder their effectiveness in establishing conditions in which people can be healthy. This sector is characterized by concerns and crises that threaten the health and wellbeing of the community.

Public health concerns and crisis refers to difficult or complex situations in the public health system that affect people or communities within a specific geographical area. In some cases, public health concerns or crises affect human populations on the entire planet. These concerns and crises create social inequalities in health resulting in inequitable access and low quality of care services. Public health epidemics or pandemics are health concerns or crises characterized by low healthcare services and inequitable access to care. In addition, such concerns or crises are sometimes characterized by rapid spread of the disease or illness. The rapid spread generates complexities in efforts by public health officials and other stakeholders to contain the disease or illness. The recent Ebola outbreak in western Congo is an example of a public health concern or crisis. As the number of Ebola cases continue to increase, the country faces a public health crisis given the rapid spread of this disease and limited resources to contain and mitigate it.

Ebola Outbreak in Western DRC

The total population of the Democratic Republic of Congo was 4,620,000 as of 2015 with a gross national income of $4 per capita as of 2013 (World Health Organization, 2020). Life expectancy in this country as of 2015 was 63 years for males and 66 years for females. The Democratic Republic of Congo spends approximately $323 on health per capita. Public health remains a major issue for the government given the various health problems facing the country. Governmental expenditure on public health is shaped by priority health problems, key national issues and challenges, and trends in national response. Throughout the years, this country has experienced different health problems including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

In addition to these priority health problems, Congo faces public health concerns and…

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…roads. Therefore, public health officials take days to reach affected populations as responders and supplies have to navigate a complex, traverse terrain without roads. Responders, supplies, and public health officials are forced to contend with long periods of river boat travel. These delays imply that Ebola is spread across an expansive and rugged terrain.

Secondly, Ebola virus containment measures in western Congo are affected by high costs of intervention. Given the terrain of this region, costly interventions are required to combat the spread of the virus. This is a significant challenge given that the country has limited resources since it’s one of the poorest countries in the world whose public health resources have been drained by COVID-19. The limited resources make it difficult for these stakeholders to scale-up their operations. Third, current containment measures are significantly underfunded and affected by numerous logistical challenges. Additional funding is required to help support the teams on the ground and scale-up preparedness and readiness activities.

In conclusion, public health concerns or crises refers to difficult or complex situations that affect people or communities in a particular geographical area or across the globe. Countries across the globe invest in their public health systems to help enhance the health and wellbeing of their populations. However, public health concerns or crises emerge from time to time despite huge investments in the health sector. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an example of a country experiencing a public health concern or crisis brought by an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the west. Since the first case was reported on June 1, 2020, more than 100 new infections have been reported in less than five weeks. Public health officials and partners…