Ebola’s Unwelcome Guests: How Conflict Fuels Africa’s Latest Health Crisis

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing another unwelcome guest as it struggles with its latest Ebola outbreak: conflict. The ongoing battle between the Congolese army and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has exacerbated the crisis, which has already claimed 139 confirmed deaths.

The India-Africa Forum Summit, scheduled to take place next week in New Delhi, was postponed due to the “evolving health situation” in parts of Africa. This decision raises important questions about how African leaders plan to tackle the root causes of recurring outbreaks: conflict, poverty, and a lack of infrastructure.

M23 rebels claim to be committed to working with international partners to contain the outbreak, but their efforts are being hampered by the scarcity of basic supplies, including medical equipment and personnel. This is not a new problem; foreign aid cuts have been affecting health services across Africa for years, leaving healthcare infrastructure underdeveloped.

The Ebola outbreak in DRC’s South Kivu province marks an expansion of the disease into a region previously thought to be relatively safe. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are now 600 suspected cases and two cases reported in neighboring Uganda. The WHO has declared this outbreak an international emergency, but more needs to be done to stop its spread.

Decades of conflict have left the DRC with widespread displacement, economic stagnation, and a lack of investment in healthcare infrastructure. International aid cuts have further eroded the country’s ability to respond to health crises like Ebola. The US, once a major donor to DRC’s health services, has significantly reduced its funding in recent years.

This short-sighted decision will ultimately cost more lives than it saves. Africa’s leaders have been warning about the dangers of conflict and poverty for decades, but little progress has been made since the African Union launched the “Silencing the Guns” initiative in 2015 to reduce armed conflicts on the continent.

The postponement of the India-Africa Forum Summit sends a clear signal that public health must come first. It’s time for African leaders to take a similar approach – not just when it comes to outbreaks like Ebola, but also when addressing the underlying causes: conflict, poverty, and lack of infrastructure. The world is watching Africa’s response with bated breath; let’s hope our leaders will seize this opportunity to tackle the root causes of these recurring health crises.