"DRC Ebola News (10/7/19)." CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 07, 2019. Accessed March 16, 2020. https://healthsecurity.csis.org/articles/drc-ebola-news-10-7-19/
There was no new case reported as of October 5th.
In a joint news release, the WHO, European Emergency Response Capacity (EERC), World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and Save the Children noted that 1,000 people have now recovered from Ebola in the DRC.
Kenya and Uganda have set up special border units to screen entrants from Tanzania. Rwanda has deployed an Ebola screening rapid response team at the border post with Tanzania. The reaction in Dar es Salaam has remained as firm as it was two weeks ago when the suspected Ebola case was reported.
DRC MoH Statistics/WHO AFRO Dashboard (as of October 5)
Total cases: 3,204
- Confirmed cases: 3,090
- Probable cases: 114
- Suspected cases: 411
1000 Ebola survivors in the DRC
Although this is the largest and longest running Ebola outbreak the DRC has experienced, new tools are now available to help stop the virus and save lives. A highly effective vaccine (shown to have 97.5% efficacy) has protected over 226,000 people. New treatments, that recent study results show can save over 90 percent of people who come early during their illness, improve survival rates of people infected with Ebola.
“It is surely a celebration when cured patients go home after surviving Ebola; they feel reborn. I can’t begin to explain how grateful they are for the support, even more so when they learn that food assistance will accompany them for a year to get back on their feet,” Susana Rico, WFP Emergency coordinator in Goma, said. “This celebration must also serve as our motivation to continue the fight against Ebola and save many more by encouraging communities to alert about potential cases, so that they can seek treatment in time to be saved.”
“Every survivor gives us reason and motivation to continue to enhance our fight against Ebola, but every survivor is also a reminder that there are lives we were not able to save”, David Gressly, Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator, said. “We have to continue gaining access through improved security for health workers and populations alike, along with continuous efforts to engage communities to be empowered with the response. We cannot win the battle against this outbreak without the full support of the Congolese people”, he added.
Tanzania angered by Ebola ‘conspiracy’ and mistrust
As regional governments move to enhance Ebola surveillance at border crossings with Tanzania, the government in Dar es Salaam now says it “suspects there is a conspiracy at international level to spread negative information about Tanzania in the face of an ongoing conflict with the WHO over how a recent potential Ebola case in the country was dealt with.” Tanzanian minister of health, Ummy Mwalimu, said the government reassures the international community that it is aware of the dangers and implications not sharing information. Mwalimu also played down reports of heightened Ebola surveillance by neighbouring countries along the borders with Tanzania. “We don’t know why our neighbours are doing what they are doing, but instead of continuing with the mistrust, I urge them to join forces with us and we share our contingency plans because there are more than 300 borders crossings where there are several movements of people.” Mwalimu added that “according to the laboratory protocols of WHO, when the samples test negative, there is no need to take them to a reference laboratory. Only if 25 samples test positive, that is when you are supposed to forward them.”
WHO communications officer Tarik Jasarevic said the organisation still advises against applying any restrictions on travel or trade to and with Tanzania. “As per WHO guidance, we recommend sharing samples (including negative ones) with a reference laboratory. We stand by to offer our support no matter what health issues Tanzania is facing,” said Jasarevic.
Tweet by Helen Branswell– 10/6/19
Exactly this 👇🏼
The response hasn’t been able to operate in Lwemba for nearly 3 weeks and there is #Ebola there.
Zero cases just means zero reported cases, sadly.
Tweet by Global Citizen– 10/7/19
Female survivors of Ebola are more likely than men to face stigma over the virus.