Addis Ababa, July 12 (IANS). Concerns have grown over the safety of health workers responding to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after a US humanitarian aid worker was confirmed to be infected with Ebola. This information was given by Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Africa CDC said in a statement that doctors, nurses, humanitarian aid workers, volunteers and other field staff are continuing to work in extremely difficult conditions. They are identifying infected people, treating patients and trying to keep people safe, so that the infection can be prevented from spreading.
The organization said that an investigation has been started in the case of the American aid worker. Under this, it is being ascertained with whom he came in contact and how he got the infection. However, it is not yet clear where and how he contracted the virus. This aid worker was working in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the eastern part of the DRC, which is currently the largest center of the Ebola outbreak.
According to the latest data from the Public Health Agency of the African Union, so far 112 health workers in DRC have been infected with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, while 35 of them have died.
“For those fighting this disease, good quality protective equipment, strong infection prevention systems, ongoing training, psychological support and safe working environments are essential,” said Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC.
The agency has appealed to all the organizations working in the affected areas to strengthen the security arrangements of their employees, to give immediate information in case of suspicion of infection or any kind of symptoms and to provide all necessary help to their staff.
Last month, an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola was also reported in France. The infection was found in a health worker who worked in the Ebola control campaign in the DRC.
Meanwhile, Africa CDC chief Jean Kasseya and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will visit the hardest-hit area of the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC next week. The purpose of this joint visit is to further intensify efforts to control the outbreak.
Jean Kaseya said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ on Saturday that the decision was taken after a meeting of the heads of the two organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting discussed the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak in DRC and Uganda and the urgent steps that need to be taken on the ground.
“We have decided to go together to Bunia on July 18 and 19. There we will meet national officials, frontline health workers, affected communities and relief partners,” Kaseya said.
–IANS
AY/DKP
