WHO Pledges To Boost Response To Ebola Outbreak In DRC Amid Violent Attacks In Country

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published May 23, 2019 | 06:33 PM

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday measures to strengthen its response to the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid rising political instability in the African country which has hindered efforts to contain the virus' spread

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2019) The UN World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday measures to strengthen its response to the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid rising political instability in the African country which has hindered efforts to contain the virus' spread.

On Wednesday, Oly Ilunga Kalenga, the DRC's health minister, said the government was struggling to contain the spread of the virus amid a spike in violent attacks against doctors and hospitals that were dangerously delaying the emergency response.

"In view of the increasingly complex environment, the UN in partnership with the Government and all partners is now strengthening its political engagement and operational support to negotiate access to communities; increasing support for humanitarian coordination; and bolstering preparedness and readiness planning for Goma [capital of eastern North Kivu province where the outbreak is centered] and surrounding countries," WHO said in a statement.

WHO also said it would be adapting public health strategies to identify and treat people as quickly as possible, expand vaccination to reach and protect more people and work to end Ebola transmission in health facilities.

Additionally, financial planning and reporting will also be strengthened in the region within the framework of the Ebola strategic response plan.

On Monday, the DRC Health Ministry said that over 1,200 people had died as a result of the ebola outbreak since it started 10 months ago.

The Ebola virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals and is estimated by the World Health Organization to have a 50-percent fatality rate. Ebola is named after the DRC's Ebola River, near which the virus was discovered by Belgian microbiologist Peter Piot and his team in 1976.