Former DRC health minister arrested arrested for Ebola-related funds

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested a former health minister for apparently mismanaged funds allocated to the Ebola outbreak.

Oly Ilunga resigned as health minister in July after being stripped of responsibility for the fight against Ebola.

Police said that they arrested him because they had information that he intended to evade prosecution and leave the country.

He denies any wrongdoing.

In his July resignation letter, Dr. Ilunga criticized the World Health Organization's plan to use an unlicensed vaccine against Ebola.

Previous vaccines were inadequate and health experts argued that another vaccine, which had not yet been widely tested, should be used.

Dr. Ilunga said the previous vaccine was the only one to have clinically proven efficacy.

He also criticized the decision to remove him from his position as head of the Ebola team and replace him with a committee that he said would have hindered his work.

Foreign donors have provided more than 150 million dollars (120 million pounds sterling) to fight the Ebola virus in Congo, where more than 2,000 people have died since the beginning of the current epidemic.

What is Ebola?

• Ebola is a virus that initially causes sudden fever, severe weakness, muscle aches and sore throat.
• It turns into vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding
• People are infected when they are in direct contact with the blood, vomit, stool or body fluids of a person with Ebola through broken skin, or from the skin. mouth or nose.
• Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure