HealthThe Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has become the second-largest ever recorded, with more than 2,100 deaths and the virus reaching a sixth province. Community resistance, misinformation, strikes by unpaid staff and threats from rebel groups are hampering health workers’ efforts to contain its rapid expansion.
HealthThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a sixth province, raising concerns about further infections and the difficulties facing health teams.
HealthThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a sixth province, raising renewed concerns about further infections and the difficulties facing health teams.
HealthThe Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has become the second-largest ever recorded worldwide, spreading faster than any previous epidemic and killing about 50 people a day. Health workers in Ituri province are overwhelmed as treatment centres come under attack and another facility is built. Fear and mistrust are keeping some patients at home, threatening transmission in camps housing 1.3 million displaced people.
HealthWorld Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is holding a press conference on the Ebola situation. Government data showed that confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo had risen to 4,449 by Aug. 11. The reported total includes 2,061 deaths, underscoring the scale of the outbreak being discussed.
Reuters
HealthHealth authorities are alarmed by the pace of Ebola’s spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More than 2,000 people have died in the current outbreak, while the World Health Organization warns that the toll could rise rapidly. The Bundibugyo species is spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak, according to the report, and there is no licensed vaccine for it. Professor Aileen M. Marty, who helped the WHO contain the largest Ebola outbreak in West Africa a decade ago, is involved in the discussion.
HealthA new clinical trial has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an Ebola outbreak continues to spread. Researchers will investigate Ervebo, a vaccine for the Zaire ebolavirus, against the Bundibugyo strain involved in the current outbreak. The study is intended to assess the vaccine’s performance against that strain. Its launch adds a clinical-testing effort to the response as the outbreak expands.
HealthThe World Health Organization says sequencing indicates that the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began roughly three months before an emergency was officially declared in May. Zambia is also entering a crucial week as voters prepare for elections. The report further highlights a Rwandan mine that has become one of the United States’ principal tungsten suppliers, with the metal considered critical to the defense industry.
HealthWHO vaccine experts recommended on Friday that researchers conduct a full-scale human trial of Ervebo, the only Ebola vaccine currently approved. The study would examine whether it can provide cross-protection against a deadly strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The recommendation comes as health officials assess the vaccine’s usefulness against that strain. Its focus is on determining the extent of protection Ervebo may offer.
HealthThe Ervebo vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective against the more common Zaire strain of Ebola. World Health Organization experts say early evidence, especially from animal studies, indicates it could also provide some protection against the rarer Bundibugyo strain. That strain is currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The vaccine’s possible public availability is discussed with Dr. Paulin Mutombo Beya, deputy director at the Kinshasa School of Public Health.
HealthThe Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed more than 4,000 Ebola cases in what is described as the second-largest outbreak ever recorded and possibly the fastest-spreading. Hundreds of passengers and crew on a river boat near Kinshasa have been placed in quarantine after a passenger died with suspected Ebola. Frontline responders are reportedly working without pay while facing serious risks. The World Health Organization has also issued a warning about the outbreak.
HealthThis week’s On Assignment travels to eastern Congo to show the largely unseen work involved in containing an Ebola outbreak. Reuters correspondent Clément Bonnerot accompanies a surveillance officer through Bunia, looking for cases that may have been missed and examining deaths. The report depicts the practical obstacles facing the response, including scarce resources, public mistrust and misinformation. It also highlights the commitment of health workers trying to stay ahead of the virus.
Reuters
HealthThe fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed a grim milestone, with cases exceeding 4,000. In Gabon’s capital, low rainfall and failing pipes have left taps dry. Meanwhile, rising water levels in Kenya’s Lake Baringo are bringing communities into closer contact with crocodiles. The resulting increase in crocodile attacks is also highlighted.
HealthThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its largest Ebola outbreak on record. The outbreak is considered unprecedented not only because of its scale, but also because it went undetected for months before being correctly identified. Heather Kerr of the International Rescue Committee says delayed diagnosis and the difficulty of distinguishing the Bundibugyo strain from common illnesses have hindered the response. The operational challenge is compounded by active conflict and armed groups.
HealthThe current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed 4,000 reported cases for the first time. Authorities began monitoring nearly 200 people after someone suspected of having Ebola died. Medical clinician Dr Angelique Coetzee provides further insight into the situation.
HealthCongolese health authorities screened more than 300 people traveling on a river boat near Kinshasa. The checks followed the death of a passenger suspected of having Ebola. Officials were concerned that the virus might have spread among people on board.
Reuters
HealthThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is continuing to spread rapidly, with the death toll exceeding 1,800. Africa’s leading health agency says it will deploy a vaccine aimed at an earlier Ebola strain to help contain the latest outbreak. Nearly three months into the crisis, global health officials warn that transmission is outpacing the response, while cases have doubled in some hotspots. Some frontline health workers have also gone on strike, saying they have not been paid.
HealthHealth workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have protested in Ituri province over wages they say have gone unpaid since mid-May. The World Health Organization says the response has received less than half of the funding needed to work effectively. The outbreak has spread across five provinces, with nearly 4,000 people infected and more than 1,800 dead. Officials cite logistical difficulties for the payment delays, while the UN warns that disruptions could hinder the response.
HealthThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading, with infections rising rapidly. Declared in mid-May, the country’s seventeenth Ebola outbreak has already killed more than 1,700 people. The World Health Organization is calling for an “intensified” medical response. Medical teams have been deployed, specialised centres established in the hardest-hit provinces, and trials for an effective vaccine are continuing.
Health0:53After months working in eastern Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak, frontline workers say they are exhausted and still have not received their salaries. More than workers protested over the unpaid wages, questioning whether they can continue under those conditions. Wiza Bondele was among them. The protest highlights the strain facing workers responding to the outbreak.
The Associated Press
Health0:41A motorbike caravan promoting Ebola awareness has been launched in Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Motorcycle taxi drivers, officials and community leaders took part in urging residents to follow preventive measures. Authorities are working to prevent a resurgence of the disease in North Kivu province.
Reuters