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Objective This study aimed to assess health facilities’ readiness to provide safe surgical care during Ebola and COVID-19 era in Uganda and in the Eastern DR Congo. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in selected national, regional referral and general hospital facilities in Uganda and in the eastern part of DR Congo from 1st August 2020 to 30th October 2020. Data was analysed using Stata version 15. Results The participation rate was of 37.5 % (72/192) for both countries. None of the hospitals fulfilled the readiness criteria for safe surgical care provision in both countries. The mean bed capacity of participating health facilities (HF) was 184 in Eastern DR Congo and 274 in Uganda with an average surgical ward bed capacity of 22.3 % (41/184) and 20.4 % (56/274) respectively. The mean number of operating rooms was 2 and 3 in Eastern DR Congo and Uganda respectively. Nine hospitals (12.5 %) reported being able to test for Ebola and 25 (34.7 %) being able to test for COVID-19. Postponing of elective surgeries was reported by 10 (13.9) participating hospitals. Only 7 (9.7 %) hospitals reported having a specific operating room for suspect or confirmed cases of Ebola or COVID-19. Appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) was reported to be available in 60 (83.3 %) hospitals. Most of the staff had appropriate training on donning and doffing of PPE 40 (55.6 %). Specific teams and protocols for safe surgical care provision were reported to be present in 61 (84.7 %) and 56 (77.8 %) respectively in Uganda and Eastern DR Congo participating hospitals. Conclusions The lack of readiness to provide safe surgical care during Ebola and COVID-19 era across the participating hospitals in both countries indicate a need for strategies to enhance health facility supplies and readiness for safe surgical provision in resource-limited settings.

Background On April 10, 2020, while the independent committee of the International Health Regulation was meeting to decide whether the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Demogratic Republic of Congo still constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a new confirmed case was reported in the city of Beni, the last epicenter of the epidemic. This study aimed to understand the source of this cluster and learn from the implemented control strategies for improved response in the future. Methods We conducted a combined epidemiological and genomic investigation to understand the origins and dynamics of transmission within this cluster and describe the strategy that successfully controlled the outbreak. Results Eight cases were identified as belonging to this final cluster. A total of 1028 contacts were identified. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that all cases belonged to the same cluster, the closest sequence to which was identified as a case from the Beni area with symptom onset in July 2019 and a difference of just 31 nucleotides. Outbreak control measures included community confinement of high-risk contacts. Conclusions This study illustrates the high risk of additional flare-ups in the period leading to the end-of-outbreak declaration and the importance of maintaining enhanced surveillance and confinement activities to rapidly control Ebola outbreaks.

Background: Transfusion safety investigations in sub-Saharan Africa are sparse, often limited to local initiatives. The provision of transfusion products must comply with the rules of good transfusion practice. This study aimed to evaluate transfusion practices in a rural area in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and identifying the main Infectious Transfusion Infections. Methodology: This was a retrospective study carried out from January to December 2017 and including 961 volunteer blood donors in the haematology department of the laboratory of the Referral Health Centre of Eringeti, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Results: Among the 961 volunteer blood donors, 139 (14.46%) donors were found with infections transmissible by transfusion. The sex ration of 1.6 in favour of males was observed and the group age below 20 years was the most affected. The majorities of donors were single, farmers, without any level of education and reside in the village of Eringeti. Syphilis, Hepatitis B virus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, as well as Hepatitis C Virus, were more represented respectively with 38.1%, 30.2%, 20.1% and 11.5% followed by HIV-Syphilis, syphilis-hepatitis B and syphilishepatitis B and C co-infection in the same proportion (0.7%). Ancient donors were more affected by transmissible transfusion infections with 55.4%. Conclusion: Blood safety is an essential health goal. But it is by far to be accomplished in the rural areas of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thus, improving the selection of donors on one hand, and the progress made in the development of more sensitive screening tools and the introduction of innovative screening measures on the other side, enhanced with a modern bank of blood with qualified staff at the Eringeti Referral Health Centre may improve the quality and safety of the blood products administered to the needy population and could thus reduce the risks ITTs in this rural area.