Ebola outbreak slowing in parts of DRC but still growing in others: WHO chief
Geneva, Oct 10 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday said there was a strong progress in the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with 25 survivors discharged from a treatment centre in Isiro. He however warned that while the epidemic was slowing in some areas, it was still growing in others.
“There continues to be strong progress in the Ebola response in the DRC,” Tedros stated on X.
The WHO chief said 25 survivors of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) – 13 women and 12 men – were discharged on Friday following treatment at a WHO-supported Ebola Treatment Centre in Isiro, the capital of Haut-Uele province.
A 10-bed extension to the centre, inaugurated with WHO support in collaboration with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), has taken its capacity to 50 beds.
“The Centre strengthens patient care while allowing the Isiro General Referral Hospital to keep delivering other essential health services,” he said.
WHO also provided over one tonne of medical supplies to the Isiro hospital, including materials for oxygen, gloves and masks for health workers, and beds and mattresses. It has trained 211 health workers so far at its clinical training hub in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and will soon open a new centre in North Kivu, Tedros said.
The WHO chief also gave an update on the vaccination of frontline workers.
“Also yesterday, as part of the DRC government-led vaccine programme, the first 100 frontline health workers in Haut-Uele Province received the ERVEBO vaccine, which is proven to protect against the Ebola Zaire strain, and is also being studied to see if effective against the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) driving this current outbreak. More than 9000 frontline workers have so far received the ERVEBO vaccine as part of this effort,” he said.
MSF and partners have also vaccinated at least 870 frontline workers with ERVEBO as part of the “BRAVO” study assessing its impact on preventing serious disease and death from Bundibugyo, while WHO is supporting a vaccine efficacy platform trial of both ERVEBO and BVD-specific vaccines expected to start in the coming weeks, he said.
“While there are clear signs that the epidemic is slowing down in some areas, it is still growing in others. It is therefore critical that the response continue to scale up and reach where the outbreak already is and where it might be going,” Tedros said.
“WHO is supporting the DRC government, and all partners, to bring the outbreak under control as rapidly as possible, while looking to the future in strengthening health services in the region to protect communities against threat of future outbreaks,” he added.
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