Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola Is Killing People Before They Ever Reach a Doctor
[UN News] More than 1,900 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak - and most of them never made it to a treatment centre. Between 60 and 70 per cent of deaths are happening in communities far from care, a gap that is now central to the World Health Organization's response.
Over 1,900 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with most of these fatalities occurring outside of treatment centers. Dr. Mohamed Janabi, the World Health Organization's Regional Director for Africa, has expressed concern over this issue, stating that most deaths are happening in communities far from care.
The Bundibugyo virus, a particularly lethal strain, continues to outpace the response efforts. Dr. Janabi recently visited Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak, to assess the situation and spoke with community members and transport providers to understand why people are not reaching treatment centers in time. The lack of healthcare facilities near villages is a significant factor, with half of the deaths among transported individuals linked to the conditions of their care.
To address this problem, WHO aims to bring healthcare closer to communities, improve public and transport provider awareness, and promptly refer suspected cases to appropriate centers. Additionally, the agency plans to establish additional Ebola treatment centers outside of Bunia and increase bed capacity for Ebola patients. The ultimate goal is to reduce the concentration of the response in Bunia and improve earlier intervention closer to transmission hotspots.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
