Six months have now passed since the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic republic of Congo was declared.
While marking the half year fight against the deadly disease, the World Health Organization hailed the response team that has been deployed in the DR Congo to tackle the spread of the disease.
“We have some 500 staff on the ground at the moment, the great majority from the DRC, and also from WHO offices across the African region. Some of these people have been fighting Ebola since the first 2018 outbreak began in the west of the DRC in May. These brave people and colleagues really do make us all proud.” WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said.
Ebola has claimed 461 lives in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, and 258 people have recovered from the illness, which attacks the immune system, causing internal-bleeding and major organ damage, if unchecked.
WHO has set up nine treatment centers to fight the disease, and it says it has been able to track down 45,000 people who came into contact with suspected Ebola sufferers. More than 69,000 people have been vaccinated in the country, including 21,000 health workers and 16,000 children.
The agency however bemoans insecurity in the country, which has made it difficult for health workers to reach those at risk.
The latest Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo is the country’s 10th, and is considered to be its worst breakout ever. . It is also the world’s second largest Ebola outbreak in history after the one in West Africa in 2014-2016.
