Published: 9 December 2003
Less than a year after 128 people died in an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in western Republic of Congo, the virulent disease has struck the same region again. A total of 43 cases, including 29 deaths, have been reported in Mbomo District.
The Republic of Congo Red Cross, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is working in close coordination with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to control the outbreak. This entails identifying suspected cases, caring for those who have been infected, burying bodies, disinfecting affected areas and, crucially, raising awareness among the population about how the disease is spread.
“The 126 Red Cross volunteers on the ground, who are themselves members of these communities, have a key role to play. They enjoy the trust and understand the traditions and beliefs of local people and are thus better placed to put in place effective control measures. Often they are the only ones accepted by the population,” says Dr Akadiri Razack, the Federation’s health delegate in Congo.
To support this essential work, the Federation has launched an appeal for 265,000 Swiss francs (US$ 205,000). This will be used to purchase protection, sanitation and publicity materials and to update the skills of volunteers.
“If sustainable measures are not taken on time, this epidemic will claim many more lives and spread to other villages. We need to reinforce the capacity of the Red Cross committees in the affected communities to ensure an effective response,” Dr Razack explains.
Passed on by infected body fluids, Ebola, for which there is no known cure, is characterized by fever, diarrhoea, intense fatigue and massive internal bleeding. During the last outbreak, in Cuvette Ouest between December 2002 and March 2003, there were 128 deaths from the 142 recorded cases – a mortality rate of over 90 per cent.