131 deaths.. The World Health Organization warns of an Ebola outbreak in Congo
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed his concern on Tuesday "Size and speed" Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is likely to have caused 131 deaths and 513 suspected cases.
On Sunday morning, the head of the organization declared a public health emergency of international scope, which is the second highest alert level of the organization, in the face of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Ghebreyesus said, in his speech on the second day of the annual assembly of member states of in Geneva "It is the first time that a Director-General has declared a public health emergency of international scope before convening the Emergency Committee"adding "I did not make this decision lightly"
The speed of the spread of the epidemic
He explained to the delegates that he had taken this decision after consulting with the health ministers of the two countries concerned, and"Because I am very concerned about the scale of the epidemic and the speed of its spread"
Ghebreyesus added on the second day of the annual meeting of member states of the World Health Organization "Today we will hold a meeting of the Emergency Committee so that it can advise us on interim recommendations"
The representative of the World Health Organization announced inAnne Ansia to the media in Geneva via an intervention from Bunia in the Ituri province "Internationally, we are looking at what vaccine or treatment candidates are available, and whether any of them could be useful in this outbreak."
The African Union Health Agency announced "Africa CDC" condition "Public health emergency" At the continental level to confront the Ebola outbreak.
The agency said in a statement published on Monday evening that it… "The outbreak of Ebola virus disease of the Bundibugyo strain, affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, has been officially declared a public health emergency." At the continental level.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently facing a widespread outbreak of the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus, against which no vaccine is available.
Ghebreyesus reminded that "Besides the confirmed cases, there are more than 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths"
Deaths
The Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced on national television from Monday to Tuesday night that it was likely that the Ebola epidemic had led to the death of 131 people out of 513 suspected of being infected.
Minister Samuel Roger Campa said. "We counted about 131 deaths" It is suspected to be caused by Ebola, and"We have about 513 people suspected of being infected" With the virus.
The epicenter of the epidemic is located in Ituri, a province in northeastern Democratic Congo on the border with Uganda and South Sudan. This gold-rich region witnesses heavy population movements daily due to mining activity.
The virus has already spread beyond the borders of Ituri and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kamba said. "Unfortunately, the warning within the community was delayed, because people thought it was a mysterious disease, and because of that patients were not taken to hospital"
He added that suspected cases were recorded in Butembo, a commercial center in North Kivu province neighboring Ituri, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter of the epidemic.
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