Strong increase in deaths from Ebola virus in Congo following attacks by medical teams

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KINSHASA, Congo – Ebola cases and deaths in eastern Congo rose sharply last week, authorities said on Tuesday, citing repeated attacks on treatment centers and health workers.

There were 126 new cases and 83 deaths between April 22 and 28, according to the Kinshasa Ministry of Health.

The number of deaths has risen rapidly from around 600 at the end of March to more than 900 a month later.

"As soon as a security incident occurs, such as the destruction of Ebola treatment centers or the murder of our colleague (from the World Health Organization), the main intervention activities are suspended for an indefinite period of time. Said ministry spokeswoman Jessica Ilunga. dpa.

"Without these activities, the virus continues to spread and kill more people in the community," she added.

So far, there have been 1,480 cases and 970 deaths since the beginning of the epidemic – the second largest in history – last year.

Many militias operate in eastern Congo, most fighting over the country's rich natural resources.

Authorities and aid groups also had to deal with a local population that was suspicious of health workers. On 19 April, a WHO epidemiologist, Richard Mouzoko, was killed by armed men.

The Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was in Congo on Tuesday and expressed his concern.

"I am also deeply concerned about the situation. Cases increase because of violent acts that delay us every time, "he said in a statement.

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Visit Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) at www.dpa.de/English.82.0.html

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