Following the resurgence of the Ebola virus disease in Lubero territory, North Kivu, the humanitarian coordinator in the DRC, David McLachlan-Karr, expressed his support to the authorities and to the populations of the affected areas. Worried by this resurgence of the Ebola virus disease, he encourages the commitment of the humanitarian community to support the Congolese authorities and the populations of the affected areas. “I express all my support and all my confidence in the Congolese authorities, and invite them to take swift and decisive action to protect all contacts in order to prevent the spread of the virus”David McLachlan-Karr said in a statement released Feb.12, 2021.
Support from partners
Noting the support of the WHO and other partners who have mobilized to launch the first response actions in the health zones concerned, this document published by the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian aid ( Ocha) said that currently, nearly 10,000 doses of vaccines are available in the country and part of it was being sent to the town of Butembo. “The DRC has health professionals experienced in the fight against Ebola virus disease. As we had done during previous epidemics, we promise to quickly mobilize partners to support the government’s efforts ”, David McLachlan-Karr promised. In addition, for him, the priority is now to ensure good coordination of operational partners in the field for the tracing of contact cases and their vaccination as well as the management of suspected cases.
It is noted that nearly eight months after the end of the tenth epidemic outbreak, Ebola virus disease resurfaced in Lubero territory, North Kivu. Two people, Ocha notes, died from it.
The UN office also recalls that the fight against the tenth epidemic outbreak, the deadliest to date in the DRC, lasted almost two and a half years, and left nearly 2,300 dead in the east of the country. While an eleventh Ebola epidemic killed 55 people in Equateur province between June and November 2020. “Humanitarian organizations have learned lessons from the last two outbreaks of the epidemic. It is on the basis of this experience that we are monitoring the situation by implementing measures to protect the communities concerned and frontline workers; but also to avoid all the abuses that may have tainted and hampered the work of humanitarian workers during the previous response in eastern DRC ”, concluded the humanitarian coordinator in the DRC.
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