Armed conflicts and other factors have increased the difficulty of Ebola epidemic prevention and control.

According to a report by South African media recently, a research team led by South African scientists published a commentary article in the British medical journal "The Lancet", pointing out that in response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, in addition to strengthening health measures, attention should also be paid to the impact of factors such as armed conflicts and population movements on epidemic prevention and control. The team is led by Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the director of the Biomedical Research Institute at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, with members including researchers from the countries affected by the current outbreak such as Congo and Uganda. The article points out that the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Due to the lack of approved vaccines and specific treatments for this virus, as well as inadequate rapid diagnostic capabilities at the grassroots level, epidemic prevention and control face significant challenges. At the same time, the long-standing conflict in eastern Congo has led to a large number of displaced people, frequent cross-border population movements, and increased difficulties in identifying cases, tracking contacts, and providing diagnosis and treatment.