In the Congo, more than 200 people may have died as a result of violence and the disruption of the response following the Ebola outbreak
More than 200 people may have already died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of the Ebola outbreak. The situation is being exacerbated by attacks on medical facilities and violence in the eastern regions of the country, which are hindering efforts to combat the infection.
Bloomberg reports this, citing the Congolese Ministry of Health.
According to official data, more than 900 suspected cases of Ebola infection have been recorded in the country’s three eastern provinces. As of May 23, the number of probable deaths had reached 210.
At the same time, medical workers have managed to trace only about 20% of the people who may have been infected with the dangerous virus.
The World Health Organization emphasizes that the situation is significantly exacerbated by the unstable security situation in the region.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that due to violence, doctors and humanitarian workers are forced to leave dangerous areas.
“This seriously undermines contact tracing and early detection of infections,” he emphasized.
Earlier in Ituri Province, attackers set fire to tents used to treat Ebola patients, after which the patients fled the medical center.
Health ministers from countries in the region have already warned of the risk of the virus spreading beyond the Congo due to active population migration and weak border controls.
The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that as many as ten African countries could be at risk of an outbreak.
In addition, five cases linked to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC have already been confirmed in Uganda.
Earlier reports indicated that the 17th Ebola outbreak had been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, claiming the lives of 80 people. This time, the disease was likely caused by the little-studied Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, rather than the more common Zaire ebolavirus.
Three Red Cross volunteers have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of Ebola infection. They were working in the city of Mongbwalu, which is currently considered the epicenter of the outbreak. It is believed that the infection may have occurred even before the spread of the virus was officially detected.
