The World Health Organization announced it has sent its specialists to join Congo’s Rapid Response Team in Kasai province, aiming to boost disease surveillance, treatment, and infection prevention and control across health facilities. Alongside this, supplies such as personal protective gear, mobile lab equipment, and essential medicines are being delivered.
Congo currently has a reserve of treatments as well as doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, according to WHO.
“We had earlier prepositioned 2,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine in Kinshasa, which we are now deploying to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
This marks the 16th Ebola outbreak in Congo. Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba noted that the fatality rate, estimated at 53.6%, highlights the severity of the crisis.
The confirmed patient was a 34 year old pregnant woman from the locality of Boulape in southern Kasai province. Investigations into additional suspected cases are still ongoing.
