In an interview with FRANCE 24, Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, stated that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is “serious” but not currently “out of control.” He emphasized that failure to contain the outbreak at its source could endanger everyone, noting that Western nations would likely already possess vaccines if the disease had emerged in their regions.
Addressing FRANCE 24 from Kinshasa, Kaseya described the response to the outbreak as “massive,” though he cautioned that it remains unclear whether the peak of transmission has been reached. He highlighted challenges in reaching affected areas, particularly displacement camps where response teams cannot access.
The West is ‘Not Interested’ in Africa
Kaseya further argued that Western countries would have developed vaccines and treatments long ago if Ebola had affected them. “They weren’t interested,” he said, adding that most Western nations are now reducing aid to Africa—but stressed he was not seeking assistance.
The epidemiologist warned of a global risk, citing a recent case of a French doctor infected in the Ituri province who returned home. He stressed that the virus would not wait for other countries to be impacted. Kaseya also pointed out that the cost of containing the outbreak now is “lower” than the potential costs Western states would face if the crisis spread there. He predicted a vaccine could be available within months, “maximum by the end of this year.”
