[ad_1]
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) – The World Health Organization warned Friday that it may not be possible to contain Ebola in the two affected provinces of eastern Congo if attacks violence against the health teams continued.
This disturbing statement comes amid escalating violence nine months after the start of the epidemic, hampering efforts to identify suspected cases in the community and vaccinating those most at risk. Earlier this week, Mayi-Mayi militia fighters attacked Butembo town at the epicenter of the crisis.
The update also noted that an interment team had been "violently attacked" after the burial of an Ebola victim in the city of Katwa. The corpses of the victims are very contagious and require special precautions so that the disease is not transmitted at funerals.
Nearly five days of Ebola control activities have been recently stopped in Butembo and surrounding areas due to insecurity, said the WHO.
"The ongoing violent attacks are creating fear, perpetuating mistrust and further exacerbating the multitude of problems faced by front-line health workers," he said. "Without the commitment of all groups to put an end to these attacks, it is unlikely that this (Ebola) outbreak will remain successfully contained in the North Kivu and Kivu provinces. Ituri. "
David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee, met with health workers in the regional capital of Goma this week. Some fear that it will take another year to control the disease, he said.
"There is a real concern to make sure it does not spread to Goma," he said. "And so it's, I think, a more dangerous situation than is widely recognized outside the country."
The epidemic, which killed 1,074 people, marks the first time that Ebola strikes a conflict zone. Eastern Congo has suffered decades of violence from rebel groups at war and huge arms militias.
However, the affected area is also close to the borders of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda, and health authorities in both countries are preparing for a case where a person with Ebola transmits the disease across international borders. .
The WHO and others have already stated that the risk of this happening was low. However, difficulties in accessing the most affected areas of the Congo mean that health workers have difficulty isolating the sick and locating their caregivers and relatives.
About half of those who died remained at home instead of receiving treatment at Ebola health centers, allowing the virus to spread to those in physical contact with the victims.
In the midst of the growing number of cases, WHO said Friday that an advisory group is now recommending giving people at high risk of contracting Ebola a dose of 0.5 ml vaccine instead of 1 ml . The group proposes that the vaccine be administered more widely, including to those who live in communities where there have been recent cases of Ebola.
In addition to the risks posed by the militias, there is also widespread mistrust of the community in eastern Congo, the result of many years of conflict and grievance with the government. The WHO said it would like majority vaccine teams composed of local health workers by the end of the month to reduce tensions.
[ad_2]
Source link