NEW DELHI — India and the African Union have postponed the India-Africa Forum Summit scheduled to be held next week in New Delhi, according to a joint statement. The decision was made in recognition of the importance of ensuring the full participation and engagement of African leaders and stakeholders and mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent, the joint statement said. India reaffirmed its solidarity with Africa and said it was ready to contribute to Africa CDC-led efforts to address the health situation, according to the joint statement.

The postponement follows an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, where there are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no available vaccine or medicine. The strain spread undetected for weeks following the first known death while authorities tested for another, more common Ebola virus and received negative results. The World Health Organization has said that "patient zero" has not been found.

Healthcare workers and aid groups in eastern Congo said they are in dire need of more supplies and staff. Armed groups continue to threaten the safety of a region grappling with displacement and a humanitarian crisis, with over 920,000 internally displaced people in Ituri province, according to the U.N. Almost 20 tons of aid has been airlifted to Bunia.

Doctors using out-of-date facemasks were tending to suspected Ebola patients in general wards because of lack of isolation space. At a treatment center in Rwampara, healthcare workers in protective gear disinfected the bodies of suspected Ebola victims and placed them into coffins for secure burial sites. In Bambu General Hospital in Ituri province, suspected Ebola patients shared a ward with others injured or ill. A Doctors Without Borders team identified suspected Ebola cases over the weekend at Salama hospital in Bunia and found no available isolation ward at any health facility they called.

"Every health facility they called said, 'We're full of suspect cases. We don't have any space.' This gives you a vision of how crazy it is right now," emergency program manager Trish Newport said.

The region's health infrastructure and surveillance capacity has been further weakened by international aid cuts. "Years of underfunding, compounded by recent cuts to front line health and outbreak preparedness programming, have weakened the ability to detect and respond to outbreaks quickly," said Dr. Lievin Bangali, Senior Health Coordinator for the International Rescue Committee in DRC. The group said it had to stop its surveillance activities in three out of five areas in Ituri over the past year because of funding cuts.

"The situation is worrying because this is gaining momentum," said Hama Amado, Bunia field coordinator for Alima. "This is spreading in many areas. So everyone must mobilize." He said: "We are still far from saying that the situation is under control."