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JOHANNESBURG (AP) – The deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has exceeded 2,000 cases and is accelerating.
The number of confirmed cases has reached the milestone three times faster than it required 1,000, experts said Tuesday. The outbreak, declared in August, the second deadliest in history, killed more than 1,300 people in an unstable region where rebel attacks and community resistance have hampered containment efforts.
The figure of 2,000 is a sad and frustrating milestone. Insecurity is holding us back, "Tarik Jasarevic, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, told reporters in Geneva. Each attack prevents health workers from crucial work of vaccinating people and tracking thousands of victims' contacts.
Aid groups, including the International Rescue Committee and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said it was necessary to "reset" the fight against one of the world's most dangerous in the world.
Misunderstandings are plentiful in an area that had never experienced an Ebola outbreak until now, and years of rebel attacks have left a lot of pain. residents worried about foreigners, especially accompanied by Congolese security forces or United Nations peacekeepers.
"This epidemic will not end until communities are involved and lead the response efforts themselves," said Nicole Fassina, Ebola Coordinator at the IFRC, in a statement. Strengthening the armed protection of health workers could exacerbate tensions, the statement said.
Due to mistrust, many cases of Ebola are not enumerated and the number of confirmed cases is probably "an underestimation and not a realistic picture of the number of cases occurring in the world," the IRC said in a statement. separate press release. Many people, frightened, still die at home instead of going to health centers for treatment.
Among the challenges, WHO and others reported signs of progress. Notably, more than 129,000 people received an experimental but effective Ebola vaccine during its first full-scale use.
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Jamey Keaten, Associate Press Associate in Geneva, also contributed to this event.
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