WHO declares global health emergency over rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in DRC
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WHO declares global health emergency over rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in DRC")
WHO declares global health emergency over rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in DRC Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
The WHO has declared a global health emergency over a fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the DRC that has killed 131 people.No vaccine exists for this rare strain.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a surge of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) an international health emergency, voicing deep concern over the outbreak's "scale and speed." The outbreak, responsible for an estimated 131 deaths and roughly 513 suspected cases, involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment currently exists. The epidemic's epicentre is in the northeastern Ituri province, a gold-mining hub bordering Uganda and South Sudan, plagued by local militia clashes. The virus has spread to neighbouring provinces, including suspected cases in the commercial hub of Butembo and a recorded case in Goma, which is controlled by the M23 armed group, and crossed borders into Uganda, where two confirmed cases, including one death, were reported in Kampala.
Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba stated that community figures include deaths not necessarily linked to Ebola, noting that slow community alerts occurred because people initially thought it was a mystical illness. Only 30 cases have been laboratory-confirmed in Ituri due to difficult-to-access conflict zones. ICRC’s Francois Moreillon warned that humanitarian access and coordination between conflict parties present significant challenges.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the UN is examining candidate vaccines. WHO representative Anne Ancia noted that the vaccine candidate Ervebo is being reviewed but will take at least two months to become available, warning the outbreak could be lengthy. President Felix Tshisekedi has urged calm and requested a stepped-up government response.
The Africa CDC and the International Federation of Red Cross have activated their highest emergency levels. Internationally, Germany is preparing to treat an infected American doctor from the Christian NGO Serge, while the United States announced passenger screening from affected areas and temporarily suspended visa services. This is the DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak.
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