WHO experts fight Ebola outbreak in the Congo

THE UN health agency is deploying technical experts to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid an outbreak of the Ebola virus near its northern border with the Central African Republic, the agency’s regional director for Africa said.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti visited the capital Kinshasa on Saturday to discuss with national authorities and partners ways to mount a rapid and effective response.

He noted that the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) has already mobilised teams and is also ready to provide the technical expertise and leadership required to mount a response to the Ebola alert.

The visit follows notification by the government of an outbreak in the Likati health zone in the north. At least three people have died since Saturday, while eight others are reported to have Ebola.

A DRC Health Ministry team was supported by the WHO was scheduled to arrive at the centre of the outbreak on Monday.

“The health zone is situated in the remote, isolated and hard-toreach northern part of the DRC, with limited transport and communication networks – factors that all impeded transmission of information about the suspected outbreak,” WHO said in a media release.

“In the meantime, the WHO is recommending that travel and trade not be restricted with the DRC, based on information currently available.

The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network has been activated to provide additional support, if required.

Tanzania has also dispatched a team of medical experts to areas of the country that may be under threat from Ebola. The team will seek to improve detection and information systems against it spreading.

Other entry points to the country, including airports, have been put under surveillance and anyone entering will be thermally screened to see if they are infected.

This is the eighth outbreak of Ebola since it was discovered in the DRC in 1976.