The current June 1 outbreak of the Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is their eleventh since 1976. A cluster of cases was discovered in the provincial capital of Mbandaka, a city with a population of almost half a million people. The speed in which the deadly Ebola virus is spreading in the remote, densely forested areas of Equateur Province is alarming, according to the World Health Organization.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Operations Center has been activated to respond to Ebola. Contractor support such as Rumph is critical to the achievement of the overall efforts of Ebola outbreak control along with other disease outbreaks in the DRC region. To accomplish this, substantial portions of CDC resources are directed toward conducting unique surveys, epidemiologic studies, and capacity building initiatives in areas CDC staff are unable to access. In collaboration with other partners, Rumph staff are able to provide technical assistance to locally employed Ministries of Health staff with data collection, data entry, data analysis and interpretation.
Rumph staff stayed in the DRC and South Sudan to assist WHO and local Ministries of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic travel shutdown and multi-infectious disease outbreaks to continue the efforts to control both Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks. Rumph team continues to provide in country support in the DRC and South Sudan regions.