Armed Violence, Skepticism Threaten Congo’s Fight Against Deadly Ebola Strain
Attacks on treatment centers and deep mistrust are slowing containment as responders report infections and deaths.
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported Monday that the Congo Ebola outbreak has surpassed 900 suspected cases with more than 220 deaths, as three healthcare facilities were attacked within a week including a hospital stormed with gunfire on Sunday and a Doctors Without Borders tent burned Saturday in Mongbwalu.
- The rare Bundibugyo strain circulating has no vaccine or treatment, while early tests screened for common Ebola variants, losing critical time in a region where a major airport has remained in rebel hands for over a year, delaying detection and response.
- Red Cross volunteer Vanny Birungi faces dual threats: the untreatable virus and community hostility as residents in Bunia have pelted her with stones and verbal abuse, while resident Pierre Basola declared, 'Ebola is a white man's invention,' reflecting widespread skepticism.
- International Rescue Committee country director Heather Kerr warned that 'Trust is almost as important as the health response, because if you get massive distrust in the communities, they're not going to go to the health centers,' undermining containment efforts.
- Health authorities suspect the true case count exceeds official figures amid armed conflict restricting aid movement across more than 1,000 kilometers between Bunia and Mongbwalu, while weakened disease surveillance from reduced international funding compounds challenges in Ituri province where mid-May surveys documented high community skepticism.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Cyprus Mail‘Breakneck’ Ebola epidemic in Congo outpaces world’s response
LONDON/NAIROBI/GENEVA — In an Ebola outbreak, hours matter. Yet the response to the deadly and fast-spreading epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is weeks if not months behind - and missing thousands of people who may be at risk. The post ‘Breakneck’ Ebola epidemic in Congo outpaces world’s response appeared first on Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Ebola is back. The new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a case of Murphy's Law: there is still no approved vaccine or treatment for the deadly Bundibugyo variant. Nor is there a rapid test available for the virus. Furthermore, the discovery of the outbreak came late; by then, the virus had already claimed dozens of victims. By now, at least 119 people have died of Ebola, and the World Health Organization suspects there a…
abc10 News
Armed violence, skepticism threaten Congo’s fight against deadly Ebola strain
Every time Vanny Birungi, a volunteer with the Red Cross in eastern Congo, goes out to raise awareness about the latest Ebola outbreak as suspected cases near 1,000, she faces a double threat.One is the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola, with no vaccine or treatment. The other is the anger and suspicion of residents who have pelted her with stones and verbal abuse in Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbreak.We continue to tell them that the diseas…
Attacks from residents complicate the fight against a rare type of Ebola
Three times in the past week, healthcare facilities have been attacked. On Sunday, angry young men stormed a hospital treating Ebola patients, forcing medical staff to evacuate them as gunfire rang out.
DAILY DOSE: Ebola Response in Congo Battles Fear, Violence, and Mistrust; Ancient DNA Maps Pre-Inca Migration Along Peru’s Coast.
LISTEN TO TODAY’S DAILY DOSE PODCAST Ebola Response in Congo Battles Fear, Violence, and Mistrust: As Ebola cases in eastern Congo near 1,000, health workers are confronting both a rare Bundibugyo strain and widespread public distrust. Volunteers such as Red Cross worker Vanny Birungi face verbal abuse, stone-throwing, and attacks on treatment centers while trying to explain the danger. Three healthcare facilities were attacked in one week, incl…
Ebola and violence collide as cases near 1,000
BUNIA (AP):Every time Vanny Birungi, a volunteer with the Red Cross in eastern Congo, goes out to raise awareness about the latest Ebola outbreak, as suspected cases near 1,000, she faces a double threat.One is the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola, for which there is no vaccine or treatment. The other is the anger and suspicion of residents, who have pelted her with stones and subjected her to verbal abuse in Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbre
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