DRC: Early access to care and oxygen decisive for Ebola patients’ survival – WHO

A research vaccination programme has been launched in Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for health workers and other frontline personnel at increased risk of Ebola exposure.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers fighting the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak are struggling to overcome critical challenges to patient care, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

The number of confirmed Ebola cases has passed 8,000 for the first time since the current outbreak began, according to the Congolese authorities.

“While we are beginning to see a reduction in transmission in some areas, the number of cases remains high for this outbreak,” Dr Janet Diaz of WHO ’s Health Emergencies Programme told reporters in Geneva.

With 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, the case fatality rate is more than 48 per cent in 63 affected health zones in seven out of DRC's 26 provinces .

“We know that for Ebola disease, early access to care can significantly improve chances of survival,” Dr Diaz said. “Yet in this outbreak, many people are still dying at home or in their communities because they are unable to reach health facilities on time.”

The WHO medic recently returned from her second visit to the DRC since the current Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus was declared in May. She notably visited treatment centres in the epicentre of the epidemic, Bunia, capital of the Ituri province in the country’s northeast.

Copyright for this text belongs to UN News.