The Democratic Republic of Congo records spike in cases of Ebola in the Equateur Province.
This is aggravated by concerns of the huge funding gap faced with the World Health Organization, WHO, and its partners.
The latest outbreak of the disease was announced Monday, June 1, 2020. A cluster of cases was confirmed in Mbandaka and has since then spread to six health zones, passed the 50 marks with 56 recorded cases. This comes at the time the Central Africa country continues to battle against COVID-19.
The DRC confirmed 28 new cases over the last three weeks. Fifty-three of the 56 cases are confirmed while the other three are likely.
According to WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the Ebola virus spreads mostly in rural areas in dense rain forests which makes the response to it even more difficult.
The WHO raised US$ 1.75 million for the fight against the disease. This money finishes in a few weeks and leaves the organization with funding shortfalls.
Since June 1, when the latest Ebola case was first confirmed, 12,000 nationals have been vaccinated. In 2018, when the disease broke out, vaccination started in two weeks. In 2020, however, vaccination started four days after. This is an achievement for the DRC.
The Central African country looks to make available treatment, health education, community engagement, contact tracing, treatment, and vaccination in affected remote areas.
The WHO has focused on sensitizing the people against the virus, 40 000 households, and 273 000 people who have been visited and educated against the disease.
In 2018, 54 cases of the disease were recorded and the outbreak lasted three months (May to July).
