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 The epidemic has moved through northeastern Congo, killing 1,117
people since mid-2018. A rapid international response with an
effective vaccine has managed to stop the spread in a string of
towns, including Beni, Kyondo, Komanda, Tchomia, Mabalako, Mandima
and Kayna, WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said.
But in two towns, Butembo and Katwa, there has been persistent
infection and reinfection, Ryan he told an audience at Geneva's
Graduate Institute.
"They see (DRC capital) Kinshasa as being as far away as New York.
Anyone from more than 5 miles down the road, or maybe sometimes 500
meters, is an outsider," he said.
"They are very distrusting of outside influence. And certainly
getting this community on board has been a challenge, and missteps
have been made along the way in doing that."
Ryan added that there were "myriad" Mai-Mai militia groups, with at
least 21 around Butembo and Katwa alone, some leaning toward
criminal activity and many being manipulated by political causes.
"There is a lot of political gaming going on in this part of the
world – government and opposition and others - and this needs to
stop," Ryan said.
Community engagement strategy involved healthworkers visiting a
village in advance of vaccination, but by the time they went back
the next morning or afternoon, youth groups or others were often
there to intercept them.
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"It’s not the family who are rejecting, it's other elements in the
community who have been organized to respond to the ‘outsiders’, be
they government or NGOs or others, and that has caused a lot of
flashpoints with the teams."
Ryan said the problem was totally different from attacks on health
facilities by armed insurgents, who had used "heavy arms fire,
rocket-propelled grenades, and other stuff", which he said had
horrified local inhabitants.
To try to improve access for healthworkers, there had been
discussions with Congo's president and opposition leaders, as well
as the bishop of Butembo, imams and tribal chiefs who wield
political influence. But a truly "all society approach" was needed,
"or this situation will get even worse", Ryan said.
(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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