DR Congo Ebola health workers protest unpaid wages as deaths surpass 1,800
Aid workers say the virus is spreading at an 'alarming and unprecedented rate' as virus spreads to remote areas.
The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called for a more robust Ebola response during his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, with 3,874 confirmed cases and 1,751 deaths reported so far. According to Tedros, the outbreak is spreading rapidly, with new cases doubling in certain areas within a week.
He emphasized the need to accelerate access to care, surveillance, and safe burials while bolstering protection for frontline health workers. The United States announced an additional $242 million in funding, bringing the total US financial assistance for the response to over $500 million. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades.
While there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, several experimental vaccines and treatments are currently being tested in the affected regions.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- WHO calls for 'intensified' response as DR Congo Ebola cases near 4,000 france24.com
- WHO chief says Ebola outbreak is outpacing response as aid workers strike over pay medicalxpress.com
- WHO chief urges stronger Ebola response in DR Congo visit freemalaysiatoday.com
