[ad_1]
Health workers fight to stop the epidemic in DR CongoImage Caption: Health workers fight to stop the epidemic in DR Congo
The number of people who have contracted Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has exceeded 1,000, making the current epidemic the second largest ever, humanitarian workers said.
More than 629 people have died since last August. New cases rose sharply last week, with 58 new cases reported – the highest number in one week in 2019.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a leading humanitarian group, said DR Congo had reached a "tragic stage".
"We are already nearly seven months into this epidemic and at this point we should see a decrease in the number of cases, not an increase," he said.
"With an optimistic outlook, this epidemic is expected to last another six months – but realistically, we could consider another year of fighting this disease," the IRC added.
Insecurity and mistrust hindered the work of health workers.
Several treatment facilities have been attacked and infectious patients have been released.
Some people worry that some people are not attending treatment centers, making it difficult to prevent the spread of the disease.
Source link
