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The Democratic Republic of Congo will begin a ring vaccination as the first batch of 4,000 experimental Ebola vaccines arrived on Wednesday to combat the outbreak of the disease in the country says World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Vaccinations would start on the weekend, the first time the vaccine would come into use since it was developed two years ago” the Health ministry.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) a total of 42 Ebola virus disease cases had been reported in DRC, including 19 deaths.
It is the ninth time Ebola has been recorded in the central African nation, whose eastern Ebola river gave the deadly virus its name when it was discovered there in the 1970s. The disease killed eight people in the country last year.
“The Ebola vaccine is an additional tool in our response to the outbreak.” Said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general WHO “The Ministry of Health of DRC with support from WHO, Gavi and other partners are preparing to conduct vaccination of high-risk populations in affected areas.
The outbreak is centred around the remote town of Bikoro in the province of Equateur, which has 31 of the cases and 274 contacts. There have also been eight cases and 115 contacts in Iboko health zone.
The WHO said it had sent 300 body bags for safe burials in affected communities.
Ebola Virus Disease is a rare disease that can lead to death mostly affecting human and non-human primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). It is caused by an infection with one of five known Ebola virus species, four of which can cause disease in human.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
