WHO, Africa CDC adopt Ebola response plan as DR Congo steps up hygiene measures

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention (Africa CDC) on Saturday unveiled a six-month Ebola response plan for outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. 

With a $319 million budget, the plan covers all 55 African Union member states. 

Of the total budget, $265 million is allocated for outbreak response in the DRC and Uganda, while $54 million will go toward preparedness efforts in 10 high-risk African countries.

In the meantime, authorities on the ground in eastern Congo are stepping up hygiene measures to combat the virus. 

In Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri — the epicentre of the current outbreak —, health workers were seen spraying distinfectants in the public market over the weekend. 

In some churches, hand-washing is now mandatory and masks are encouraged. 

Authorities in Ituri have faced some pushback from parts of the population. On Sunday, young men stormed the Mongbwalu General Hospital and demanded that two bodies of their kin be handed over to them.

Over the past week, angry residents have attacked three healthcare facilities treating Ebola patients in the area. 

A rare type of Ebola, known as the Bundibugyo virus, is responsible for the current outbreak. There is currently no vaccine for Bundibugyo. 

The outbreak has killed 204 people in the DRC, according to the Congolese health ministry’s latest update on Saturday. 

The World Health Organization said more than 900 suspected cases have been identified in the country.