WHO declares DRC’s 12th Ebola outbreak over
The 12th outbreak was declared by the DRC’s health ministry when a new Ebola death was confirmed in Butembo in North Kivu province on February 7.
CAPE TOWN, May 4 (ANA) – The 12th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was declared over on Monday, just three months after the first case was reported in North Kivu, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
“Huge credit must be given to the local health workers and the national authorities for their prompt response, tenacity, experience and hard work that brought this outbreak under control”, said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.
“Although the outbreak has ended, we must stay alert for possible resurgence and at the same time use the growing expertise on emergency response to address other health threats the country faces.”
The 12th outbreak was declared by the DRC’s health ministry when a new Ebola death was confirmed in Butembo in North Kivu province on February 7. The dead woman was the 42-year-old wife of an Ebola survivor.
In a press release, the WHO congratulated the health authorities in the DRC and the health workers on the ground for their swift response, which built on the country’s previous experience in tackling Ebola outbreaks.
Eleven confirmed cases and one probable case resulting in six deaths and six recoveries were recorded in four health zones in North Kivu, from February 7, when the Ministry of Health announced the resurgence of Ebola in Butembo.
Results from genome sequencing conducted by the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research found that the first Ebola case detected in the outbreak was linked to the previous outbreak, but the source of infection is yet to be determined, the WHO said.
The response was co-ordinated by the provincial department of health in collaboration with the WHO and partners.
With nearly 60 experts on the ground, the WHO helped local workers to trace contacts as soon as the outbreak was declared, providing treatment, engaging communities and vaccinating nearly 2,000 people at high risk, including over 500 front-line workers.
“The declaration of an end to the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a testament to the professionalism, sacrifices, and collaboration by hundreds of true health heroes, in particular the Congolese responders,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement released later on Monday.
“The World Health Organization is committed to helping national and local authorities, and the people of North Kivu, prevent the return of this deadly virus and to promote the overall health and well-being of all at-risk communities.”
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
