44 people die due to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

[Askor lml]

Since August 8, a vaccination campaign against Ebola is underway to stop the spread of the disease.

 

A new outbreak of Ebola has been declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This virus is affecting two provinces of this country. There are currently 51 confirmed cases and 44 deaths, according to the latest balance sheet offered by the Congolese Ministry of Health.

The Congolese authorities announced on 1 August a new outbreak of the virulent disease in the town of Mangina, in the province of North Kivu. Now, the virus has spread to the Ituri province. Since August 8, a vaccination campaign against Ebola is underway to stop the spread of the disease.

For its part, Doctors Without Borders has since this Tuesday, August 14, with a treatment center in Mangina. In total, there are 37 patients hospitalized in the center and among them 31 have been confirmed infected with the virus.

"Among our patients we have several colleagues from the Congolese health service in the area," Médecins Sans Frontières emergency program coordinator Gwenola Seroux said in a statement. "They were the first to respond and some were exposed to the virus," he said.

On the other hand, the health organization is also working in Ituri. They are visiting health centers to establish isolation rooms in case of need, initiate surveillance activities and work with community toilets to alert people about Ebola.

In addition, there is active conflict in the North Kivu area. Therefore, the Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhenom Ghebreyesus, has called on the warring parties in this area of Congo "a cessation of hostilities because the virus is dangerous for everyone, do not choose between this group or that." Likewise, it has requested the help of the international community to obtain "access to inaccessible areas".