AfriPulse
World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the Ebola risk level in the Democratic Republic of Congo from high to very high following a sharp rise in suspected infections and deaths linked to the outbreak.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as “deeply worrisome,” revealing that nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths have now been recorded across the country.
“The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly,” Tedros said during a press briefing, adding that 82 cases and seven deaths have already been officially confirmed.
The WHO maintained that the regional risk remains high while the global threat is still considered low, even as Uganda confirmed two imported cases, including one death.
Health officials said insecurity and violence in parts of eastern Congo are slowing emergency response efforts, with medical teams struggling to trace contacts and contain fresh infections.
Tension escalated in Ituri Province after angry residents and relatives of victims stormed and burnt Ebola isolation tents at Rwampara hospital when authorities refused to release a body for burial.
“The family wanted us to hand over his body so that they can bury him, but given the circumstances, that’s impossible,” a hospital official explained after the unrest. Distrust among residents has continued to fuel resistance to health protocols, with some locals insisting the disease is fake despite warnings from experts about its deadly nature and rapid transmission through bodily fluids.
“My brother is not dead from Ebola, it’s an imaginary disease,” 22-year-old Jeremie Arwampara said as grieving families clashed with health workers and security personnel during emergency burials.
Meanwhile, the WHO says it is working with international partners to test possible treatments and develop vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the latest outbreak, while more foreign medical experts are being deployed to support overwhelmed local teams.
AFP
Source: NationalAccordNewspaper | Read the Full Story…
