Living, dying and surviving the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic on record
A gravedigger, a doctor, an internally displaced person, a survivor and a widower explain how they are facing the second largest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Badya Piracel Florence arrives when it's all over. Or when it's about to end. Her job is to bury those who have died from Ebola in Bunia ―the epicenter of the epidemic that was declared on May 15 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)―, without putting those who are still alive in danger. On each intervention she finds the same scene: devastated families, people who want to say goodbye to their loved ones, parents, children and brothers who wish to touch one last time the body they are about to lose.
She must prevent it. “We are not here to prevent families from grieving. Our mission is to protect the living while honoring the deceased with respect and dignity,” she explains to this newspaper. Because Ebola, one of the most lethal infectious diseases in the world, can continue to be transmitted after death through contact with the victim's body.
Translated by urgent.news. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
