By Zoila Palma: Today, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to meet with Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi as concerns mount over the country’s Ebola outbreak, which aid officials warn may be far larger than official figures indicate.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus travelled to Congo last week and called for greater international support to contain the spread of the disease.
Health officials say the outbreak, now the third-largest on record, circulated undetected for weeks before the first confirmed cases emerged in Ituri province, US News report.
In a joint statement issued Sunday, the WHO and the Congolese government described the situation as “a challenging time” and said efforts were underway to strengthen surveillance, testing and patient care.
The statement highlighted several ongoing challenges, including early detection and isolation of cases, contact tracing, safe burials, infection prevention in health facilities and stronger community awareness. After visiting Ituri province, where the first cases were confirmed, Tedros returned to the capital Kinshasa and was scheduled to meet President Tshisekedi before departing for Geneva.
According to the WHO, there were 906 suspected Ebola cases in Congo as of Friday, including 223 suspected deaths under investigation.
Congo’s government reported late Sunday that confirmed cases had risen to 282 with 42 deaths after 19 new positive tests were recorded. Most cases have been identified in Ituri province, with additional confirmed infections reported in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Ebola cases have also been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda.
The International Rescue Committee warned that the outbreak may have been spreading for as long as three months before its official detection in mid-May.
The post International News: WHO chief meets Congo President as Ebola outbreak raises growing concern appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Today, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to meet with Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi as concerns mount over the country’s Ebola outbreak, which aid officials warn may be far larger than official figures indicate. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus travelled to Congo last week and
The post International News: WHO chief meets Congo President as Ebola outbreak raises growing concern appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.