The Ebola virus is spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with deaths surpassing 220 and confirmed cases exceeding 900.
The head of the World Health Organization said yesterday that the rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak in the two countries is overwhelming the response capacities of local authorities.
Addressing an online African Union meeting on the outbreak, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said delays in identifying Ebola cases mean health authorities are now “racing to catch up” and that the situation will likely worsen before it improves.
The WHO has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a public health emergency of international concern.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a civil conflict is ongoing, the disease is spreading rapidly because, beyond the lack of healthcare infrastructure, relatives have attacked doctors because they are unable to bury their loved ones or believe the outbreak is a hoax.
According to ActionAid data, 83% of schools lack hygiene infrastructure, 81% have no response or isolation protocols in place, 78% do not have personal protective equipment, and in 29% of schools there is likely to be at least one case. In addition, 74% of teachers have received no educational briefing about Ebola, 67% of schools have not received a single visit from health authorities regarding the outbreak, and 29% of schools have already recorded at least one suspected Ebola case or close contact with an infected person.
Πηγή: Reuters [1], [2], Action Aid
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