Republic of Congo: Ebola Response Activities



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After a two-month emergency response in the Equateur province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams began providing emergency medical services. 39, intervention at the Ministry of Health. Congolese organizations and other non-governmental organizations in Mbandaka, Bikoro, Itipo and Iboko

"This outbreak of Ebola is not yet officially over, but we are very pleased with the progress that has been made", said Henry Gray, emergency coordinator. of MSF in the province of Ecuador. "Given the low case volume and the increasing experience of local staff, the Ministry of Health is able to complete the work we started together."

Throughout the epidemic, teams of the Congolese Ministry of Health supported by MSF in Bikoro, Itipo, Mbandaka and Iboko treated 38 confirmed patients, of which 24 survived and are gone home. Unfortunately, 14 are dead. More than 120 patients with symptoms consistent with those of Ebola were isolated and examined before being allowed to return home after being tested negative for the virus.

The transfer process began on June 20 with the closure of the MSF Ebola Transit Center at the Itipo Reference General Hospital. All new suspected cases are treated at the nearby ALIMA-run Ebola Treatment Center which also conducts outreach and monitoring activities in affected areas and will badist the Ministry. Subsequently, on 25 June, MSF delivered the Ebola Treatment Center at the Bikoro Reference General Hospital to Ministry of Health staff who continue to isolate and treat the Ebola virus. tests on people suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus. All outreach, surveillance, health promotion, disinfection and burial activities in Bikoro were also conducted with the Ministry of Health and other non-governmental organizations.

Currently, an MSF team is building a small isolation unit at the Mbandaka Reference General Hospital . Once completed, any new patient suspected of having the disease will be isolated and will be tested to detect the virus in this new facility. The 40-bed Ebola treatment center built by MSF on the outskirts of Mbandaka will be disinfected and dismantled in early July

The Ebola treatment center at Iboko General Hospital will be the last facility supported by MSF. will be delivered to the Ministry of Health on July 15th. Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières will continue to monitor activities and community work, and will also support the hospital with pediatric care and infection prevention and control in the institutions.

Finally, since no new cases have been reported since the June 6 MSF teams, in collaboration with the teams of the World Organization of Health (WHO), have completed a "ring vaccination" of all contacts of patients with confirmed cases of Ebola, and contacts of his contacts, using the vaccine against Ebola in research, rVSVDG- ZEBOV-GP . Similarly, the vaccination of front-line workers who executed MSF in the health zones of Bikoro and Iboko was completed on 23 June. There are no new confirmed cases of Ebola, the 21-day follow-up of the latest front-line workers vaccinated by MSF, as well as MSF vaccination activities in the province of Ecuador will be completed on 14 July.

"We are encouraged by a mbadive international response to this Ebola outbreak, but it is much more likely that Congolese will be affected by malaria, measles, cholera, or violence-related displacement than by the Ebola virus ". Grey. "In addition to the medical activities that MSF is already conducting in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Médecins Sans Frontières is responding to a new cholera epidemic in Mbuji Maji (Kasaï Oriental province) and is badessing how best to react to them. consequences of the recent violence in Tshikula (in Central Kasai Province). "

In case there are no more confirmed cases of Ebola, the Congolese health authorities will officially declare the end of the July 22 outbreak . This date is 42 days (twice the maximum period of Ebola incubation) and one day after a secure burial for the last confirmed patient, died at the Ebola treatment center in Bikoro.

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A total of 3,199 people were vaccinated against the Ebola virus with the vaccine against the virus being investigated, the vaccine rVSVDG-ZEBOV-GP, within the framework of the WHO Expanded Access Framework teams MSF, WHO and the Congolese Ministry of Health. Only MSF teams vaccinated 1,673 people in the areas of Bikoro and Itipo, including contacts with confirmed Ebola cases and their contacts, as well as with front-line workers (health workers , buried people, healers). motorcyclists and taxi drivers), people who are considered most at risk of contracting the virus.

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