The World Health Organisation’s director-general has landed in the Democratic Republic of Congo today, as the Ebola outbreak spirals deeper into crisis. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the situation “alarming” before his plane touched down in Goma. The city of two million is a powder keg. One active case there. That is all it would take. The virus has already killed more than 1,400 people since August. This is the second deadliest outbreak on record.
Downing Street moved fast. The Prime Minister’s spokesman confirmed a fresh tranche of British aid. £10 million. Plus what they call “expertise”. That means doctors. Epidemiologists. The UK is sending a team from Public Health England. They will join the 50 already on the ground from the UK. The pledge also includes mobile laboratories. And vaccine supplies.
The politics is delicate. Britain has a significant footprint in the region. There are trade talks. Mining interests. But this is also about global health security. Ebola does not respect borders. Look at Uganda. They had a scare last month. A family crossed from DRC. One child died. Lockdowns followed. The World Bank estimates the outbreak has already cost $1 billion in lost economic output.
The WHO chief has a tough job. He needs to convince local communities to trust the response. In North Kivu, health workers are attacked. Militias operate freely. A nurse was murdered last week. The UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, provides escorts but they are stretched.
Back in Westminster, the aid budget is a battleground. Tory backbenchers are restless. They want cuts. But this is a humanitarian crisis. The government is committed to 0.7% of GNI. For now. A source close to the International Development Secretary told me: “We cannot afford to step back. This is a direct threat to UK public health.” He has a point. Airlines have suspended flights. Screening at UK airports has been stepped up.
Labour is circling. Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the government’s response is “too slow”. He demanded a full Cobra meeting. The NHS is already under pressure this winter. Each suspected case requires isolation. Staffing is a nightmare.
The next few weeks are critical. The outbreak is centred in Beni and Butembo. Remote, violent, hard to reach. The rainy season is coming. Dirt roads will become impassable. The WHO wants to deploy a new vaccine. But supplies are limited. The UK pledge will help. But is it enough?
One thing is clear. This is not just a DRC problem. It is a global one. And the clock is ticking.
