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The deadly virus outbreak in the DRC could last at least six months, warns Save the Children
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (February 10, 2019) –Nearly 100 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have lost their lives because of the Ebola virus since the beginning of the epidemic last August. Save the Children warns that the death toll could increase with the increase in the number of new cases in January, from about 20 per week to more than 40. Of the 97 children who lost their lives, 65 were less than five years old.
The DRC is fighting the second most important Ebola outbreak in its history. In the last six months, at least 785 people were reported to have been infected with the virus (731 confirmed cases), 484 of whom died – 60% of them women. In the last three weeks of January alone, there were about 120 new cases.
Insecurity and violence in the east of the country, coupled with fear and suspicion in some communities, make it difficult to control the epidemic.
"We are at a crossroads," said Heather Kerr, country director of Save the Children in the DRC. "If we do not take urgent measures to limit this phenomenon, the epidemic could last six months, or even the whole year. The DRC is a country plagued by violence, conflict and extreme hunger: some 4.6 million children suffer from acute malnutrition. The main concerns of many people are safety and making sure they have enough to eat. But Ebola must also be a priority.
"It is important to convince communities that the Ebola virus is an urgent and real concern. People disrupted funerals because they did not think the deceased had succumbed to the virus. Humanitarian workers were threatened because it was believed that they were spreading the Ebola virus. We must redouble our efforts to reach out to the youth and community leaders who are making their voices heard to build trust and help us turn the tide. Treating sick people is essential, but it is equally important to prevent Ebola from spreading further. "
Save the Children supports the fight against the Ebola outbreak by raising awareness in communities in Beni, the most affected region.
"A young boy told me that his parents never talked about the virus at home, it was a taboo and that made him fearful. After a big awareness campaign, they started talking and he's less afraid now of knowing how to avoid it, "said Marie-Claire Mbombo, Save the Children's child protection officer.
"Many children are left alone [because of the virus] for different reasons. In some cases, their parents are in the hospital or work in the field. Other children were orphans. Children left alone are more likely to be victims of badual abuse or to have to work. Some of them sell peanuts on the side of the road. We support parents and communities by discussing ways to prevent the disease, but also to ensure the safety of children, "said Mbombo.
To fight the virus, Save the Children has deployed its emergency health service to train local health workers. The organization is also raising public awareness of the virus, especially in health centers – 42 of which are located near Goma, the largest city in the region – to prevent the virus from reaching this point. large urban center. It also sends teams to sensitize rural communities – including training leaders to recognize symptoms and support surveillance in the community – and to identify people who may have been in contact with the virus.
So far, Save the Children has provided nearly 400,000 people in the DRC with information on how to recognize and prevent Ebola symptoms. While there remains a threat of spreading cases across the border into Uganda, where DRC refugees continue to arrive every day, Save the Children has trained more than 1,000 health workers, volunteers, teachers, village health teams and laboratory staff in Uganda at key stages to prevent and mitigate the spread.
Save the Children gives children in the United States and around the world a healthy start, an opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We invest in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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