Ebola still spreading in DR Congo
The Ebola epidemic continues to
spread through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s North Kivu province.
The newest areas to be affected
include the city of Butembo and a number of isolated areas that are hard to
reach. So far, 440 people have been infected with the virus, 255 of whom have
died.
Teams from international medical
organization Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) continue to
strengthen their efforts to help bring the epidemic under control.
This is DRC’s tenth and most
serious epidemic of Ebola since the virus was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola
River in what was then called Zaire.
Forty years later, despite a
massive and coordinated mobilization by the World Health Organization (WHO),
the Congolese Ministry of Health and organizations such as MSF, the deadly
virus is still spreading.
The newest urban locations to be
affected are Butembo, as well as Kalenguta, 25km to its north, and Katwa, 30km
to its east. These places have all seen an increase in confirmed cases of Ebola
as well as some resistance from the community. For now, the number of cases in
Butembo’s city centre is low, but cases are rising quickly in its eastern suburbs
and outlying isolated districts.
“We are very concerned by the
epidemiological situation in the Butembo area,” says John Johnson, MSF project
coordinator in Butembo. “We now know that this outbreak will last and that we
must increase our efforts to get it under control. With the agreement of the
authorities, we have made a strategic decision to roll out our activities close
to the affected populations and to organize training of key people in the
community so that we can reach patients and their relatives.”
MSF’s efforts to reach Ebola
suspects living in isolated areas have had initial success. New cases are being
reported from these areas and patients are being brought to Butembo where MSF
manages an Ebola treatment centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
The number of beds in the Butembo centre has recently been increased to 64.
Meanwhile, MSF has reinforced its
activities to decontaminate health centres and vaccinate frontline health
workers to help contain the epidemic. So far, 2,000 frontline workers have
received the Ebola vaccine.
In Mangina, where the epidemic
started, no new cases have been reported for several weeks. “We should be able
to end our activities in the treatment centre shortly,” says Axelle Ronsse,
coordinator of MSF’s Ebola response.
In Beni, the number of cases per
week remains stable. However, new cases are still being confirmed on a daily
basis. “To fight this, we have stepped up our medical and health operations by
opening a 48-bed transit centre that remains busy,” says Ronsse. “We also, for
example, perform decontaminations in health centres where a confirmed patient
has been. But our actions aren’t limited to reactive responses. We’ve increased
our training of health professionals and we’re raising awareness amongst
communities of hygiene practices. Four months after the start of the epidemic,
we remain mobilized and vigilant in the face of new developments.”
Antoine is in charge of health
promotion activities at Butembo Ebola treatment centre. “My daily work is
essential in addressing the epidemic,” he said. “We want to encourage people to
come and get treated as quickly as possible. We also spread the message that
recovering from Ebola is possible. We ask every survivor who leaves our centre
to become an ambassador and raise awareness by telling their story. Some people
who are now immune to the virus can, in turn, provide valuable help,
particularly looking after children isolated from their families. It’s by
working together that we will beat this epidemic. It concerns us all.”
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