Food Aid Key to Fighting Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo, Says WFP
The World Food Programme has warned that food assistance must form a central part of the response to the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where conflict, displacement and severe hunger are making it harder to contain the disease.
The outbreak, declared in May and caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, has become the fastest on record, with more than 5,500 cases and 2,642 deaths reported in its first 100 days. WFP said that people struggling to feed their families cannot easily comply with the health measures needed to prevent transmission, particularly in remote areas far from treatment centres.
More than 500,000 people in the affected Ituri province are facing severe food insecurity, while poor infrastructure and ongoing conflict complicate efforts to deliver assistance. The WFP is calling for more international funding to expand both food assistance and Ebola treatment services, noting that adequate nutrition in addition to medical treatment can greatly increase a patient’s chances of survival.
-
The latest data released by Congolese authorities also shows that more than 6,000 cases have been confirmed, with a fatality rate exceeding 48 percent. The outbreak, which was declared on May 15 in the remote northeastern province of Ituri, has spread to six provinces in areas with weak or nonexistent state control and widespread insecurity.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus species,
-
![At an Ebola treatment centre run by ALIMA in Rwampara, Ituri Province, DRC, medical staff follow strict infection prevention and control measures to help prevent the spread of the virus.]()
Millions of students across the Democratic Republic of Congo have returned to school for the new academic year amid major challenges posed by an Ebola outbreak, continuing conflict in the east and a dispute between the government and teachers.
The Ebola epidemic has affected six provinces, prompting authorities to introduce a three-tier system under which schools in high-risk areas will shift to limited remote
-
The U.S. government has delivered an experimental Ebola antibody treatment to Uganda as the region grapples with the largest outbreak outside West Africa. Although Uganda currently has no active Ebola cases, health authorities remain concerned about cross-border transmission due to rising cases in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo
WFP staff and responders handle boxes of supplies at a logistics site in DR Congo during the Ebola outbreak.
Credit: Source link