Congo battles ebola outbreak in conflict zone

GOMA: Authorities in troubled eastern Congo are battling against multiple militia groups and a deteriorating security situation in their efforts to respond to an ebola outbreak that has killed 55 people in the region.

The outbreak of the deadly virus began shortly after the country’s government in June declared an end to another outbreak — in the west of the country — and lauded those involved for managing to swiftly contain the spread of the disease. But access to Congo’s eastern “red zone” is more difficult due to the region’s ongoing conflict. There is also the added problem of the movement of internally displaced people in North Kivu province, and their possible cross-border travel into Uganda or Rwanda.

The World Health Organization has warned that some areas are inaccessible because of the more than 100 armed groups that are mainly fighting over access to mineral resources. The government has rolled out a vaccination campaign that has so far managed to treat more than 1,200 people. However, the number of cases has almost doubled in a week, with the Ministry of Health saying on Monday that 96 people were suspected or confirmed to have contracted the disease.

“In red zones that are more difficult to access... we are working with the local registered nurses who are tracking these people and sending reports by phone every day,” Jessica Ilunga, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health, said on Tuesday.

Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said during a visit to the region on Monday that medical teams were being provided with security and patients were being treated in safe spaces. “The response to the Ebola outbreak is not easy because the disease has been declared in a red zone,” he said. “Health personnel and materials are accompanied by an escort when travelling.”

To try and contain the virus authorities are manning the entrances to the town of Goma, border posts and the busy port, and are taking the temperatures of those arriving from elsewhere in Kivu.