The Democratic Republic of the Congo needs an additional 1,600 treatment beds as its Ebola outbreak continues to spread and demand for care rises, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
Luca Fontana, a technical officer with the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday, September 8, that nearly 1,400 beds had been established across 59 facilities.
The figure represents a sharp increase from the more than 900 beds provided during the first two months of the emergency response. “This is one of the fastest Ebola treatment scale-ups I have ever witnessed, including during the West Africa Ebola response,” Mr Fontana said.
He explained that the country would require approximately 3,000 treatment beds to meet projected demand. According to him, patients are arriving at treatment Centres from communities far beyond Bunia, suggesting that the outbreak is spreading geographically.
He called for a decentralised response that would bring treatment services closer to affected communities.
The expansion would also require considerable human resources. The WHO estimates that three health workers are needed for every patient, meaning about 9,000 personnel must be trained to support the projected 3,000-bed capacity. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the organisation required $115 million for a six-month joint response plan with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far, $112.4 million has been received or pledged, leaving a funding deficit of $2.6 million. However, the WHO warned that the financial requirement could increase as the outbreak develops.
The Congolese government is separately seeking $1.3 billion to finance a broader six-month response involving all partners. The WHO has urged donors to increase and accelerate their financial contributions. As of Monday, September 7, the country had recorded 6,686 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,226 deaths, according to the WHO.