After two years and more than 2000 deaths, the World Health Organization confirmed that the nation’s tenth Ebola outbreak had been curtailed.
This good news comes as respite amid healthcare officials’ dedicated efforts to cope with Congo’s measles and Covid19 outbreak while dealing with Ebola too. The victory was also hard-won, amid political feuds, community mistrust, and violence against health care facilities and workers.
Ebola, named after the virus that causes the disease, is a hemorrhagic fever that also causes weakness and abdominal pain. With a fatality rate of 50%, the disease spreads due to contact with sick/dead people or animals. Ebola, though a massive challenge to healthcare workers, is also relatively easy to contain in comparison to Covid19, as it only spreads after an individual shows symptoms, and that too only via contact with bodily fluids.
What it took to end the outbreak was a significant show of commitment from 16,000 front-line workers, medical innovation, and a vaccine. This, amid 420 attacks on health facilities and rampant spread of false news about the disease. Healthcare workers utilized CUBE emergency rooms — portable spaces that allowed medical teams to treat infected individuals safely without always needing protective gear. Read more…
