Title : Descriptive analysis of point-of-entry surveillance performance during Ebola virus disease outbreak in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
Abstract:
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) remains a major public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in high-mobility and cross-border settings where the risk of disease importation is high. Point-of-Entry (PoE) surveillance is a critical intervention for the early detection and containment of infectious disease spread. This study assessed the performance of PoE surveillance during an Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, focusing on screening coverage, refusal rates, and alert detection. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary surveillance data from 17 PoE sites across seven health zones. Data were extracted from publicly available Ebola response situation reports and analyzed using R software. Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize surveillance performance indicators. Screening coverage was high (mean: 94.7%), ranging from 53.4% to 100%. Refusal rates were low (mean: 2.2%), while alert detection remained nearly zero across all PoE sites. Geographic variation was observed, with lower screening coverage in Mongbwalu and higher refusal rates in Nizi (13.5%). The near absence of alerts may reflect either low Ebola case importation during the reporting period or limitations in the sensitivity of symptom-based screening approaches. Overall, PoE surveillance demonstrated strong operational coverage and acceptability but heterogeneous implementation and limited detection sensitivity. These findings highlight the need for continued strengthening of surveillance standardization, community engagement, and case detection capacity at PoE sites during Ebola outbreak responses.
Keywords: Ebola Virus Disease, Surveillance, Point of Entry, Outbreak Response, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Public Health Surveillance
