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DRC - Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri: July 30, 2018+
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 8, 2019:
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,428 , of which 2,334 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there were 1,641 deaths (1,547 confirmed and 94 probable) and 683 people healed.
322 suspected cases under investigation;
10 new confirmed cases, including 8 in Beni, 1 in Vuhovi and 1 in Oicha;
11 new confirmed case deaths:
5 community deaths, including 3 Beni, 1 in Vuhovi and 1 in Oicha;
6 deaths in CTE / CT, including 3 in Beni, 1 in Mabalako, 1 in Butembo and 1 in Katwa.
...Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uganda announced that all index case contacts have completed their mandatory 21-day follow-up period without developing signs of the disease. As a result, Ebola transmission in Kasese District was interrupted. As a reminder, the index case was a 5-year-old boy who had traveled with his mother to the burial of his grandfather who died of Ebola in Aloya, in the health zone of Mabalako.
Uganda has strengthened its border surveillance system. Thus, all travelers coming from the DRC or having traveled to the DRC during the last 21 days must go through the sanitary control at Entebbe airport and at the various road and sea entry points of the country.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 9, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,437, of which 2,343 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there were 1,646 deaths (1,552 confirmed and 94 probable) and 683 people healed.
358 suspected cases under investigation;
9 new confirmed cases, including 6 in Beni, 1 in Mambasa, 1 in Kalunguta and 1 in Katwa;
5 new confirmed case deaths:
5 community deaths, 2 in Beni, 1 in Oicha, 1 in Mambasa and 1 in Kalunguta;
Data on deaths of confirmed cases managed by CTEs are not available this Wednesday.
... Epidemiological surveillance
New health area affected: Mambasa (Ituri). The first case is an 8-year-old boy residing in Mambasa who had been to Beni with his mother. His mother, confirmed Ebola, died in Beni on June 19, 2019 but she was not buried in a dignified and secure manner. After developing the disease, the boy returned to Mambasa with his uncle. He died at the Mambasa Reference General Hospital.
... 131 Contaminated health workers
3 health workers, including 2 vaccinated, are among the new confirmed cases (1 in Beni, 1 in Kalunguta and 1 in Katwa). The unvaccinated Kalunguta health worker died in a community health center.
The cumulative number of confirmed / probable cases among health workers is 131 (5% of all confirmed / probable cases), including 41 deaths.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Thursday 11 July 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 10, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,451, of which 2,357 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there were 1,647 deaths (1,553 confirmed and 94 probable) and 683 people healed.
364 suspected cases under investigation;
14 new confirmed cases, including 9 in Beni, 3 in Katwa, 1 in Mabalako and 1 in Kalunguta;
2 new confirmed cases deaths:
2 community deaths in Beni;
Data on deaths of confirmed cases in CTEs are not available this Thursday.
...
Adaptation of the vaccination strategy in areas affected by EVD
Since June 13, 2019, the Ebola vaccination protocol has been adapted to better respond to the particular context of this tenth epidemic, especially the security context and the high rate of confirmed cases that are not listed on the contact lists.
This new protocol contains three strategies that can be used depending on the environment in which confirmed cases are found. These three strategies are:
Classic Ring: The classic strategy of vaccinating contacts of confirmed cases and contact contacts.
Enlarged ring: It is also possible to vaccinate all inhabitants of houses within 5 meters around the outbreak of a confirmed case.
Geographical Ring: In an area where team safety can not be guaranteed, they can vaccinate an entire village or neighborhood.
In addition, following the international meeting on Ebola vaccination last month, the Minister of Health adopted a circular on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 concerning the use of other experimental Ebola vaccines in the context of this tenth epidemic. . Due to the lack of sufficient scientific evidence on the efficacy and safety of other vaccines as well as the risk of confusion among the population, it was decided that no clinical vaccine trials will be allowed throughout the country. the extent of the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo during the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo continues this past week with a similar transmission intensity to the previous week. While the number of new cases continues to ease in former hotspots, such as Butembo, Katwa and Mandima health zones, there has been an increase in cases in Beni, and a high incidence of cases continues in parts of Mabalako Health Zone. In addition to these re-emerging hotspots, there are a large number of people with confirmed and probable infections moving to other health zones, with the greatest number coming from Beni Health Zone. The movement of cases causes the outbreak to spread to new health zones and re-emerge in health zones with previously controlled infections. Overall, this underscores the importance of robust mechanisms for listing and following up contacts and understanding the motivations for peoples? decisions to move.
After the first reported case in the Ariwara Health Zone on 30 June, no new cases have been observed in that health zone. A response team deployed to that zone continues to identify contacts, engage the community, and vaccinate individuals at risk. Response personnel from the bordering countries of Uganda and South Sudan continue to support operational readiness activities. Resources are being dedicated to monitoring the Uganda-Democratic Republic of the Congo border in that area.
In the 21 days from 19 June through 9 July 2019, 72 health areas within 22 health zones reported new cases, representing 11% of the 664 health areas within North Kivu and Ituri provinces (Figure 2). During this period, a total of 247 confirmed cases were reported, the majority of which were from the health zones of Beni (41%, n=101), Mabalako (19%, n=48), Lubero (6%, n=16), and Mandima (5%, n=13). As of 09 July 2019, a total of 2437 EVD cases, including 2343 confirmed and 94 probable cases, were reported (Table 1). A total of 1646 deaths were reported (overall case fatality ratio 68%), including 1552 deaths among confirmed cases. Of the 2437 confirmed and probable cases with known age and sex, 57% (1384) were female, and 29% (704) were children aged less than 18 years.
Cases continue to increase among health workers, with the cumulative number infected rising to 132 (5% of total cases). Of the 128 health workers with information available, the greatest proportion is among health workers at health posts [poste de sant?] (20%, n = 26) and private health facilities (35%, n = 45). The majority (68%, n = 87) of health worker infections were among nurses.
No new EVD cases or deaths have been reported in the Republic of Uganda since the previous EVD Disease Outbreak News publication on 13 June 2019. As of 3 July, 108 contacts exposed to those cases were identified, and they all completed the 21-day follow-up period. All contacts were asymptomatic. Arua district, located in the north-western part of Uganda near the Uganda-Democratic Republic of the Congo border, is currently stepping up its response readiness to prevent imported cases of Ebola following the case that died on 30 June 2019 in Ariwara Health Zone in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, located 8 kilometres from the Uganda border. This case is known to have over 200 contacts, some of whom are in the communities bordering the Arua district. As of 9 July 2019, two suspected cases in the Arua district were reported and both tested negative. As of 9 July 2019, the cumulative number of individuals vaccinated in Arua district is 811 out of 1092 targeted front line and healthcare workers. Figure 1: Confirmed and probable Ebola virus disease cases by week of illness onset by health zone. Data as of 9 July 2019*
Enlarge image
*Data in recent weeks are subject to delays in case confirmation and reporting, as well as ongoing data cleaning. Other health zones include: Alimbongo, Ariwara, Biena, Bunia, Kalunguta, Kayna, Komanda, Kyondo, Lubero, Mangurujipa, Masereka, Mutwanga, Nyankunde, Oicha, Rwampara and Tchomia. Figure 2: Confirmed and probable Ebola virus disease cases by week of illness onset by health zone. Data as of 9 July 2019*
Enlarge image Table 1: Confirmed and probable Ebola virus disease cases, and number of health areas affected, by health zone, North Kivu and Ituri provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo, data as of 9 July 2019**
Enlarge image
**Total cases and areas affected based during the last 21 days are based on the initial date of case alert and may differ from date of confirmation and daily reporting by the Ministry of Health. Public health response
For further detailed information about the public health response actions by the MoH, WHO, and partners, please refer to the latest situation reports published by the WHO Regional Office for Africa:
WHO continuously monitors changes to the epidemiological situation and context of the outbreak to ensure that support to the response is adapted to the evolving circumstances. The last assessment concluded that the national and regional risk levels remain very high, while global risk levels remain low. Weekly increases in the number of new cases were observed from February through mid-May 2019, with lower but still substantial rates since then. The security situation was relatively calm this past week, except for a reported attack on a check point along the Butembo-Kalunguta axis, which temporarily disrupted the activities in that area for the day. Local security forces conducted clearing operations and response activities were facilitated thereafter. Pockets of community reticence were observed during the period. However, recent community dialogue, outreach initiatives, and restoration of access to certain hotspot areas have resulted in some improvements in community acceptance of response activities and case investigation efforts. In order to facilitate staff safety and security, and continuity of activities, the operational area continues to be closely monitored and assessed, and security mitigation measures are implemented. The high proportion of community deaths reported among confirmed cases, relatively low proportion of new cases who were known contacts under surveillance, existence of transmission chains linked to nosocomial infection, persistent delays in detection and isolation in Ebola Treatment Centres (ETCs), and challenges in the timely reporting and response to probable cases, are all factors increasing the likelihood of further chains of transmission in affected communities and increasing the risk of geographical spread both within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to neighbouring countries. The high rates of population movement from outbreak affected areas to other areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and across porous borders to neighbouring countries during periods of heightened insecurity further compounds these risks. Additional risks are posed by the long duration of the current outbreak, fatigue amongst response staff, and ongoing strain on limited resources. Conversely, substantive operational readiness and preparedness activities in a number of neighbouring countries have likely increased capacity to rapidly detect cases and mitigate local spread. These efforts must continue to be scaled-up. WHO advice
WHO advises against any restriction of travel to, and trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo based on the currently available information. There is currently no licensed vaccine to protect people from the Ebola virus. Therefore, any requirements for certificates of Ebola vaccination are not a reasonable basis for restricting movement across borders or the issuance of visas for travellers to/from the affected countries. WHO continues to closely monitor and, if necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to this event. Currently, no country has implemented travel measures that significantly interfere with international traffic to and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Travellers should seek medical advice before travel and should practice good hygiene.
For more information, please see:
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Friday, July 12, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 11, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,462, of which 2,368 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there were 1,648 deaths (1,554 confirmed and 94 probable) and 683 people healed.
412 suspected cases under investigation;
11 new confirmed cases, including 7 in Beni, 3 in Katwa and 1 in Oicha;
1 new death of confirmed cases:
1 community death in Oicha;
Data on deaths of confirmed cases managed by CTEs and cured patients are not available this Friday.
Correction of bulletin of Wednesday, July 10, 2019: There were 4 community deaths and not 5 as presented. No community deaths were reported to Oicha on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.
...
133 Contaminated health workers
Two health workers, vaccinated, are among the new confirmed cases in Beni.
The cumulative number of confirmed / probable cases among health workers is 133 (5% of all confirmed / probable cases), including 41 deaths.
...
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Saturday, July 13, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 12, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,477, of which 2,383 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there were 1,655 deaths (1,561 confirmed and 94 probable) and 694 people healed.
344 suspected cases under investigation;
15 new confirmed cases, including 9 in Beni, 3 in Katwa, 1 in Alimbongo, 1 in Manguredjipa and 1 in Mandima;
7 new confirmed case deaths:
4 community deaths, including 2 in Beni, 1 in Alimbongo and 1 in Manguredjipa;
3 deaths among confirmed cases, including 2 Beni and 1 in Mabalako;
11 people recovered from ETCs, including 8 in Mabalako and 3 in Butembo.
...
134 Contaminated health workers
One health worker (unspecified immunization status) is one of the new confirmed cases in Beni.
The cumulative number of confirmed / probable cases among health workers is 134 (5% of all confirmed / probable cases), including 41 deaths.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Sunday, July 14, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 13, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,489, of which 2,395 confirmed and 94 probable. In total, there were 1,665 deaths (1,571 confirmed and 94 probable) and 698 people healed.
335 suspected cases under investigation;
12 new confirmed cases, including 6 in Mabalako, 4 in Beni, 1 in Katwa and 1 in Butembo;
10 new deaths of confirmed cases:
3 community deaths, including 1 in Mabalako, 1 in Beni and 1 in Katwa;
7 deaths at CTE, including 4 in Beni, 2 in Mabalako and 1 in Butembo;
4 people recovered from ETCs, including 3 in Butembo and 1 in Beni.
... Confirmed Ebola Patient from Butembo Supported at Goma Ebola Treatment Center This Sunday, July 14, 2019, a pastor from South Kivu arrived in Goma after a short stay in Butembo. The 46-year-old pastor traveled from Bukavu to Butembo via Goma on Thursday, July 4 for an evangelistic mission. During his stay in Butembo, the pastor preached in seven churches where he regularly laid hands on Christians, including the sick. His first symptoms appeared on 9 July when he was still in Butembo. He was treated at home by a nurse until he left by bus for Goma on Friday, 12 July.
On the route between Butembo and Goma, the bus passed through 3 health checkpoints, namely Kanyabayonga, Kiwanja and OPRP. During the checks, he did not seem to show signs of the disease. In addition, at each checkpoint, he has written different names and surnames on the lists of travelers, probably indicating his desire to hide his identity and state of health.
As soon as he arrived in Goma on Sunday morning, he went to a health center because he did not feel well and started having a fever. No other patients were in the health center, reducing the risk of nosocomial infections of others. Nurses and doctors at the health center who recognized the symptoms of Ebola immediately alerted the response teams in Goma who transferred him to the Ebola Treatment Center (ETC). Around 15:00, the result of the lab test confirmed that he was Ebola positive. If his state of health permits, the patient will be transferred by ambulance to the CTE of Butembo to continue his care as of Monday, as provided by the procedure of the contingency plan.
It is important for people to stay calm. Due to the speed with which the patient has been identified and isolated, as well as the identification of all bus passengers from Butembo, the risk of spreading to the rest of the city of Goma remains low. Caution is still required. In order to avoid the contamination of additional people in Goma, it is urgent to break the chain of transmission by carrying out the following actions:
Decontaminate the health center in which the patient has passed;
Identify and vaccinate all contacts of the patient without exception;
Track and limit contact movement for 21 days.
Since November 2018, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) have put in place an Ebola response planning and preparation system in the city of Goma due to the large influx of travelers from affected by the epidemic. Rapid detection of the patient by medical teams at the Goma Health Center proves the effectiveness of the city's preparedness activities in dealing with the importation of potential Ebola patients. As part of this preparation, more than 3,000 health workers in Goma have been vaccinated and trained in the detection and management of Ebola patients.
In addition, the transport company has shown great professionalism in having a passenger register and making this register available to response teams to identify all passengers on the bus. The bus driver and the 18 other passengers have been identified and their vaccination will begin as early as Monday, July 15, 2019.
The collaboration of the entire population is necessary to prevent the spread of the epidemic in Goma. Beyond the medical arsenal, the Ministry of Health recalls that the response against Ebola is above all community.
As a reminder, the recommendations of the Ministry of Health are as follows:
Follow basic hygiene practices, including regular hand washing with soap and water or ashes;
If an acquaintance from an epidemic area comes to visit you and is ill, do not touch her and call the North Kivu civil protection hotline directly;
If you are identified as an Ebola patient contact, agree to be vaccinated and followed for 21 days;
If a person dies because of Ebola, follow the rules for safe and dignified burials. It is simply a funeral method that respects funerary customs and traditions while protecting the family and community from Ebola contamination.
For all health professionals, observe the hygiene measures in the health centers and declare any patient with symptoms of Ebola (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, anorexia, bleeding).
If all citizens comply with the health measures recommended by the Ministry of Health, it is possible to ensure that this case of Ebola detected in Goma is a sporadic case that does not cause a new outbreak.
... Two response providers murdered at their home in Beni
Two agents of the Ebola response in Beni, including a Community Relay (RECO) and a street leader, were murdered, each at their home on the night of 13-14 July 2019 in the Mukulia health area. the border to Butembo. Both agents were part of the local response team.
These two providers had been threatened since December 2018. The RECO, a woman from the neighborhood, had already been attacked a few times a few weeks ago but she was saved because she had given money to the attackers.
According to several sources, the attackers are people from the same neighborhood as the two victims who envied their neighbors because they had found a job in the response to Ebola.
...
136 Contaminated health workers
Two health workers, including one vaccinated, are among the new confirmed cases (1 in Mabalako and 1 in Beni).
The cumulative number of confirmed / probable cases among health workers is 136 (5% of all confirmed / probable cases), including 41 deaths.
...
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
2,489 cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have been reported since the outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018. There are 1,665 reported deaths. 698 patients have recovered.
An EVD patient was reported in Goma on 14 July. The person had travelled from Butembo to Goma by bus. After consulting a health centre with fever, he was transferred to the Ebola treatment centre in Goma where a laboratory test confirmed EVD. The bus driver and 18 passengers are in the process of being vaccinated. There were no other patients in the health centre initially visited and it is now being decontaminated.
A total of 161,400 people have been vaccinated so far including health workers and other first responders, contacts of EVD cases and contacts of contacts.
In Beni, one of the hotspots of the epidemic, two local Ebola responders were killed on 13 and 14 July. Insecurity continues to hamper the response.
An international stocktaking event on the Ebola outbreak and response is being organised by the United Nations in Geneva today.
Democratic Republic of Congo ? Ebola outbreak (DG ECHO, UN, national authorities)
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Monday, July 15, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 14, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,501, of which 2,407 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there were 1,668 deaths (1,574 confirmed and 94 probable) and 700 healed.
292 suspected cases under investigation;
12 new confirmed cases, including 7 in Beni, 1 in Oicha, 1 in Mutwanga, 1 in Kalunguta, 1 in Mandima and 1 in Goma;
The case of Goma will be reclassified as soon as thorough investigations have accurately determined the health zone where he started the symptoms.
6 new confirmed case deaths:
4 community deaths, including 3 in Beni and 1 in Oicha;
2 deaths at CTE, including 1 in Beni and 1 in Katwa;
Note: Of the 7 deaths reported on July 13, 2019, 3 were non-cases and were removed from the database.
2 people healed out of Butembo CTE.
...High Level Meeting on Ebola in Geneva
On Monday, July 15, 2019, the Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga, participated in the high-level meeting in Geneva to mobilize the international community to end the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His statement is available by clicking here .
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
Ebola emergency meeting to go ahead as UNICEF warns of higher risk to very youngest children
UNICEF/Vincent Tremeau A caregiver at the Ebola Treatment Centre of Butembo, kisses a seven-month-old baby whose mother died of the Ebola just days earlier. North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 23 March 2019.
16 July 2019
Ahead of a key expert meeting convened by the United Nations to decide whether to declare the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) an international health emergency, the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF warned that the epidemic “is infecting more children” than earlier outbreaks.
Speaking in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado said that “there have been 750 infections among children. This represents 31 per cent of total cases, compared with about 20 per cent in previous outbreaks…The latest data I have is that the case fatality ratio for that under-five group was 77 per cent.”
To date, there have been more than 2,500 cases of infection and nearly 1,670 people have died in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, according to WHO, making it the worst outbreak the country has ever faced and the second largest epidemic on record. Highlighting the vulnerability of the very youngest children, Ms. Mercado added that of the 750 cases identified among youngsters, those under five years old represented 40 per cent of the total.
Health experts to discuss vaccinations, survivors
By her side, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Fadela Chaib confirmed that an emergency meeting on the DRC Ebola virus disease outbreak will take place on Wednesday afternoon in Geneva.
Announced a day earlier by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the aim of the meeting is for DRC representatives, UN health experts and partners to decide whether the situation warrants declaring an international emergency, guided by International Health Regulations.
“They will talk about vaccinations, health workers, community engagement, epidemiological trends, the latest on survivors, you know, everything will be discussed,” Ms. Chaib said.
This is the fourth time the emergency panel will have met during the current outbreak, and it follows confirmation that the disease has been identified in Goma, a city of two million people that borders Rwanda.
Every month, an estimated 1,100 people cross the border into Rwanda, according to WHO. Underscoring the significance of the emergency panel’s deliberations, Ms. Chaib noted that the Committee “would like to avoid putting a country in isolation…in a way that might impede the response”.
Regardless of the Committee’s decision, measures are already in place to prevent the transmission of Ebola from DRC across its vast borders.
“What we have for the neighbouring countries of DRC is preparedness plans, for nine countries around DRC,” Ms. Chaib said. “What we do is send teams to work with the national authorities, to check their stages of preparedness. For example, they will check if they have the ability to test Ebola cases in their laboratories.”
‘No shortage’ of vaccine that’s 97 per cent effective: WHO
At the same time, the WHO official confirmed the “97 per cent” efficacy of the Merck vaccine when it is administered to Ebola patients within 10 days of displaying signs of infection, adding that “we have not experienced any shortage of vaccines so far, during this outbreak”.
According to WHO’s Director-General on Monday, more than 161,000 people have received vaccinations, 140,000 contacts have been traced and 71 million travellers have been screened, at a cost of $250 million “and counting”.
UNICEF’s Ms. Mercado, when asked what more could be done to overcome the DRC outbreak, underscored the lack of basic services available to people, which left them ill-equipped to confront the disease.
‘Huge array of threats’ facing people in addition to Ebola
Those living in north-eastern DRC have to contend with “a huge array of threats”, she insisted, not least endemic malaria and measles, which have killed far more people than Ebola so far this year.
Cholera is also a particular threat to the thousands of children and families displaced into camps by violence linked to communal violence and numerous armed groups, she added.
“Health workers need to be equipped with the capacity and the resources to implement basic infection prevention and protection control, and that’s not happening enough, that’s one thing,” Ms. Mercado said. “We need to do more prevention at scale against all the other diseases that children are contending with: measles, malaria, cholera (and) their major nutritional problems.”
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated July 15, 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,512, 2,418 confirmed and 94 probable. In total, there were 1,676 deaths (1,582 confirmed and 94 probable) and 703 people healed.
423 suspected cases under investigation;
11 new confirmed cases, including 5 in Beni, 2 in Mandima, 1 in Mabalako, 1 in Vuhovi, 1 in Katwa and 1 in Komanda;
8 new confirmed cases deaths:
3 community deaths, 2 in Beni and 1 in Mandima;
5 deaths at CTE / CT, including 4 in Beni and 1 in Goma;
3 people cured out of ETCs including 2 in Butembo and 1 in Katwa.
...
Follow-up of the situation of the pastor's contacts who traveled to Goma
On Monday, July 15, 2019, 37 high-risk contacts and 40 contacts of contacts of Goma confirmed case were vaccinated at the Afia Himbi health center where the patient had been isolated before being transferred to the CTE. In total, 97 contacts in the broad sense have already been listed to date. Vaccination will continue until all identified contacts have been vaccinated.
Among the contacts identified were two women from the pastor's family traveling with him. After the pastor's transfer to CTE, they hid in Goma and some people thought they fled to Bukavu in South Kivu province. Fortunately, the two women were found in Goma on Tuesday and will be vaccinated.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
Des menaces de mort pèsent sur le personnel soignant engagé dans la lutte contre Ebola dans la chefferie de Bashu, en territoire de Beni. Dans la nuit du lundi 15 à mardi 16 juillet 2019, une opération criminelle a visé le Laborantin du Centre de santé Isonga. Des hommes porteurs illégaux d’armes ont surgi à son domicile et ont gravement blessé son épouse par arme blanche. La cible était en cachette lors de l’incursion, rapporte Moise Kiputulu défenseur des droits humains à Bashu.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
Ebola: DRC hopes WHO decision not the result of "many pressures" to "raise" funds
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 - 23:32
The Congolese Ministry of Public Health has taken note of the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the Ebola outbreak affecting the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri as a health emergency. global reach.
In a comment released after the emergency committee meeting of the UN agency, the ministry of health said he hoped "this decision is not the result of the many pressures from different stakeholder groups."
These parties, he said, "wanted to use this statement as an opportunity to raise funds for humanitarian actors despite potentially damaging and unpredictable consequences for affected communities that rely heavily on cross-border trade for their survival."
...
Christine Tshibuyi
DR Congo Ebola outbreak now a Public Health Emergency, UN health agency declares 17 July 2019 Health (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/health) The second worst Ebola outbreak of all time, in the Democratic
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
EVOLUTION OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated 16 July 2019 :
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,522, 2,428 confirmed and 94 probable. In total, there were 1,698 deaths (1,604 confirmed and 94 probable) and 717 people cured.
374 suspected cases under investigation;
10 new confirmed cases, including 6 in Beni, 2 in Mabalako, 1 in Katwa and 1 in Mangurujipa;
10 new confirmed cases deaths:
5 community deaths, including 3 in Beni, 1 in Mabalako and 1 in Mangurujipa;
5 deaths at CTE / CT including 4 in Beni and 1 in Katwa;
7 people cured out of CTE Mabalako;
No health workers are among the newly confirmed cases. The cumulative number of confirmed / probable cases among health workers is 136 (5% of all confirmed / probable cases), including 41 deaths.
Deaths and cures data recorded in CTEs for the period 9-11 July 2019 are now available and have been added to the summary table.
In total, 12 deaths were recorded in CTEs during this period:
7 deaths at the CTE de Beni
3 deaths at Butembo CTE
2 deaths at Katwa CTE
In total, 7 cures were discharged from CTE during this period:
5 cured at Butembo CTE
1 cured at the CTE of Beni
1 cured at Katwa CTE
... Statement Ebola outbreak in DRC as a health emergency of international concern
Following the recommendations of the international expert committee, WHO declared on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, that the Ebola epidemic in the DRC was a health emergency of international concern.
The Ministry of Health accepts the evaluation of the expert committee. The ministry hopes that this decision is not the result of the many pressures from different stakeholder groups who wanted to use this statement as an opportunity to raise funds for humanitarian actors despite the potentially harmful and unforeseen consequences for the affected communities that depend on them. greatly from cross-border trade for their survival.
While the Government continues to openly share with partners and donors how it uses the funds received, we hope that there will be greater transparency and accountability of humanitarian actors in their use of funds to respond to this Ebola outbreak.
The Ebola epidemic is above all a public health crisis that requires a response by actors with real technical expertise. However, the main difficulty is that this epidemic occurs in an environment characterized by problems of development and shortcomings of the health system.
Furthermore, we regret that after spending almost a year in this epidemic, certain groups of people in the community continue to adopt irresponsible behavior that causes the geographical spread of the virus. It is important to remember that in the cases of Goma and Uganda, the patients knew that they were at risk but refused to respect the health recommendations and deliberately traveled to another area. The Government will consider what steps need to be taken to prevent these high-risk groups from continuing to spread the epidemic in the region.
Follow-up of the situation of the pastor's contacts who traveled to Goma
Vaccination around the confirmed Goma case continues at the Afia Himbi Health Center in the Goma Health Zone. All contacts in the city were found in less than 72 hours, including the motorcycle taxi driver that the pastor had used to get to the health center. The response teams from Beni and Butembo continue the investigations to trace the pastor's journey and identify his contacts in these two cities.
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." -Nelson Mandela
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