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New cases of deadly Ebola virus have been confirmed in the town of Butembo, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the Ugandan border, where he has killed three people.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund confirmed Friday that they have stepped up their community efforts to fight Ebola in eastern DRC.
The WHO said there were 137 confirmed and probable cases and 92 deaths in the latest outbreak in the east of the country, while UNICEF announced that "everything is done" to ensure that the disease is controlled in Butembo "at this early stage".
In addition to widespread insecurity, one of the biggest challenges is overcoming the hostility of communities to strict health guidelines that go against secular cultural traditions, including funeral practices. .
Christophe Boulierac, spokesman for UNICEF, said: "I remember that when I was in West Africa, a few years ago, during the epidemic of Ebola, it was dangerous to go to some villages.
"We know from our experience and from our work that we must never underestimate this resistance from the community. And it's an incentive to work at a deeper level.
"It's an incentive to better understand what people are feeling and why … What are the cultural beliefs?
Boulierac added that it was important to react at this level, "using agents of change, using people who have some influence in the community."
In order to help protect communities, UNICEF announced that it has sent a team of 11 specialists in community communication, education and psychosocial assistance, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene.
The UN agency said it was also working with anthropologists specializing in local cultural beliefs and practices to help solve any problems.
"If we do not, this resistance can really increase and can really cause serious obstacles to the fight against the disease. It's about knowing who we're talking to, "said Boulierac.
More than 250 community leaders were also briefed on the outbreak in Butembo, as well as religious leaders and journalists, about preventive measures and an emergency number to call to treat anyone with symptoms similar to Ebola.
The current outbreak of Ebola in the Kivus region, officially declared on August 1, is the tenth largest in the DRC since 1976, and more than 1,750 people are under active surveillance, according to the WHO. the patients.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said, "The challenge is to work with communities, alert them, inform them and get them to properly treat cases of Ebola or suspected cases of Ebola.
In total, more than 8,900 people were vaccinated, including more than 2,000 children.
Treating the sick and protecting those who came into contact with them is complicated because the vast Kivus region is home to more than 100 armed groups.
The latest outbreak of Ebola in the DRC occurred about 2,000 kilometers west in the province of Ecuador, which includes the Congo River.
It was declared finished in July after making 33 deaths.
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