Ebola outbreak: WHO chief visits eastern Congo epicenter Bunia, urges countries to reconsider travel bans | Today’s news
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited Bunia in eastern Congo, the city at the center of the outbreak of the rare strain of Ebola, on Saturday (local time).
WHO chief seeks community support
In Bunia, the virus is spreading faster than the response, despite better organized health facilities and the arrival of new aid, PTI reported. Tedros stressed the importance of building community trust and ensuring safe burials to prevent the spread of the epidemic. He also urged states to reconsider travel bans and border closures, saying such measures discourage transparency.
His remarks came as several countries announced travel restrictions during the outbreak. In addition to the US, Canada, the Bahamas, Jordan and Bahrain have also imposed travel bans.
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During a press conference alongside the Congolese health minister, the WHO director-general said: “The Democratic Republic of the Congo has faced Ebola 16 times and ended each outbreak. This is the 17th. This history gives me real confidence.”
He added: “We’re not here to tell people what to do; we’re here to listen. Building trust takes time and it starts with listening.”
The WHO chief further noted: “I understand how painful it is to lose someone and how much it means to honor them properly, but some practices, including touching the bodies of those who have died of Ebola, can spread the virus further.”
On Friday, the health organization said the latest official figures showed 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths. Neighboring Uganda also reported nine cases and one death, according to the Ugandan Ministry of Health.
Bundibugyo virus, the current strain of Ebola involved in the outbreak, has no approved treatment or vaccine.
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Medical help arrives in Bunia
On Thursday, medical aid from the European Union arrived in Bunia, Ituri province. Reports indicate that more shipments are expected in the coming days. Earlier this week, the US announced an additional $80 million in aid, bringing its total commitment to more than $112 million.
The response at Rwampara and General Hospital in Bunia appeared more organized, with additional staff, protective gear and medical supplies, although patients were still coming in around the clock, according to an Associated Press reporter.
But Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Saturday that the response had not kept up with one of the fastest-growing epidemics in history. MSF’s deputy director of operations, Alan Gonzalez, said in a statement: “Never before has an Ebola epidemic seen so many cases so soon after its announcement.”
Gonzalez also called for an immediate expansion of testing, faster deployment of aid workers and continued access to medical supplies.
US sets up quarantine facility in DRC
Earlier this week, NBC News reported that US President Donald Trump’s administration is setting up a quarantine facility in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for Americans who have been exposed to the virus.
The decision to relocate Americans during the outbreak marks a shift from previous Ebola response efforts, which often involved flying exposed Americans back to Washington for quarantine or treatment.
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The administration also began evacuating Americans from the region. Earlier this month, Peter Stafford, an American doctor who contracted Ebola in the Congo, was flown to a hospital in Germany. His wife and four children, along with another doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, were sent to the Czech Republic for observation.
Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has banned nationals of other countries from entering the country if they have traveled to Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. US citizens are exempt from this restriction, but are directed to designated airports for additional medical screening.