The Heads of State and Government of the G7 countries, meeting this Tuesday in the French town of Évian-les-Bains, have urged the articulation of a "firm and coordinated" response to the new resurgence of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. At the same time, they have reiterated their determination to "provide and mobilize support" to promote the development and distribution of vaccines, diagnostic tools, and treatments in the coming months.
"We, the G7 leaders, call for a firm and coordinated response to address the health security risks posed by the resurgence of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda," states the joint communiqué released by the United Kingdom, which further specifies that Egypt, India, Kenya, and the Republic of Korea, as partners of the group, "also support this call."
Visibly "deeply saddened by the loss of life and the burden that the disease is inflicting on affected communities," the leaders commit to "working with partner countries" to face the challenges arising from both the situation of violence in the northeast of the DRC, the epicenter of the outbreak, and the absence of fully effective vaccines, diagnostic tests, and therapies against the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus.
Regarding insecurity in the area, the G7 countries lament that "the implementation of effective public health measures is hampered by the ongoing conflict" and call on all parties involved "to fulfill their commitments and fully implement" the agreements reached, referring to the understandings between the DRC and Rwanda and the M23 armed group.
Coordination, an essential element of the response
The text also urges "relevant actors to improve coordination and avoid duplication of efforts to ensure the fastest and most effective response" to the health crisis caused by Ebola, emphasizing the need for "alignment with the plans and needs identified by the United Nations."
In this regard, the G7 leaders set as a priority "to prevent further spread, both within the affected area in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and to neighboring countries and other parts of the world."
"We continue to closely monitor the evolution of the situation, along with our partners, to ensure that this dangerous virus does not spread, not even across borders," adds the statement, which mentions major international events, such as the Football World Cup held in North America, before reaffirming the commitment to "strengthen coordination between national authorities and to work to achieve coherence in appropriate and effective travel, quarantine, and isolation procedures for people who have been in the affected regions."
Likewise, the G7 expresses its willingness to "provide and mobilize support for a coordinated global response that facilitates the effective development and distribution of specific vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments to combat this outbreak in the coming months."
The document acknowledges the contributions of the United States, the European Union, and other states and institutions, and makes "a call to other countries and partners, beyond the G7, to dedicate resources to address this global threat through the means they deem most appropriate."
In this context, the statement announces that the United States "will convene a meeting of G20 foreign ministers to discuss further collective action and obtain greater financial support for an effective and coordinated global response to this public health emergency."
The G7's appeal coincides with the upward trend in outbreak figures: to date, there are 837 cases and 196 confirmed deaths, as well as 49 people discharged and 376 patients in isolation or hospitalized, according to data released this Tuesday by the DRC authorities. The same statistics point to a fatality rate of 23.4%, while contact tracing stands at 64.4%, well below the target of 95%.
For now, the majority of infections are concentrated in the northeastern province of Ituri, which accounts for "767 confirmed cases, i.e., 91.6% of the total cases registered" in the DRC, according to official information released from Kinshasa.