How Congo Is Battling an Ebola Outbreak Complicated by Aid Cuts, Armed Rebels and Anger
Authorities said 904 suspected cases and 119 suspected deaths have been reported as aid cuts and insecurity slow the outbreak response.
- On Sunday, The Congolese Ministry of Communication reported 904 suspected Ebola cases and 119 suspected deaths, mostly in Ituri Province. This represents a significant jump from the previously announced more than 700 suspected cases.
- International aid cuts last year by the United States and other rich nations 'reduced the capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks,' said Thomas McHale, public health director at Physicians for Human Rights. Arson attacks last week compounded the crisis.
- Aid workers face critical shortages of protective gear and testing kits. Julienne Lusenge, president of Women's Solidarity for Inclusive Peace and Development, reported her facility near Bunia has only 'hand sanitizer and a few masks for the nurses.'
- Authorities have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people to curb viral spread. Armed soldiers and police now guard burials, enforcing strict protocols to prevent transmission during traditional funeral rites.
- The Bundibugyo strain responsible for this outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment. Gabriela Arenas, regional coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said it is 'unfolding in communities already facing insecurity, displacement and fragile health care systems.
76 Articles
76 Articles
DR Congo: Authorities struggle to contain fast-moving Ebola outbreak
Uganda has confirmed two new Ebola cases among healthcare workers in Kampala, bringing the country’s total to seven, all linked to the outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. In eastern Congo, where more than 900 suspected cases have been identified, authorities and volunteers are struggling to contain the spread amid limited resources, ongoing violence, and the absence of a vaccine or treatment for the rare Bundibugyo strain.
Number of cases of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, declared a global health emergency, has risen from 900
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ebola virus continues to spread, the WHO publishes alarming figures. Problems for the helpers: heat, rebels and a suspicious population.
Congo's Ebola outbreak complicated by aid cuts, armed rebels and anger
Arson attacks on Ebola treatment centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo underscore the serious challenges authorities face — including a backlash in local communities — as they try to stem an outbreak of the infectious disease that has been declared a global health emergency. On Sunday, Congolese authorities said suspected cases have now passed 900 in the east of the country, mainly in Ituri province, where the ongoing outbreak is centred.
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How Congo is dealing with an Ebola outbreak complicated by aid cuts, anger
On Sunday, Congolese authorities said suspected cases have now passed 900 in the east of the country.
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