The spread of the Ebola virus outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has now surpassed 400 confirmed or probable cases, the country’s Ministry of Health reported on Saturday. Another 56 cases are suspected and under investigation. That means dozens of new cases in the last two weeks, with spikes seen…
For months, health officials have issued a steady stream of warnings over the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where workers are racing the clock to contain an Ebola virus outbreak and treat its victims. Another disruption at the weekend is underscoring fears that the situation could become…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The death toll in the Ebola virus outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has now surpassed 200 people as the country’s Ministry of Health and international experts work to contain the outbreak. Both the head of the ministry, Dr. Oly Ilunga, and the World Health Organization said this week that…
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States said Monday that he shares with international health experts a concern that the Ebola virus outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo may not be readily controlled. “I do think this is one of the…
The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution Tuesday demanding that all armed groups in the eastern regions of Democratic Republic of Congo stop interfering with the response to a deadly and growing Ebola outbreak. “Humanitarian actors are operating under enormous difficulties to save lives,” said Taye Atske Selassie of…
Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), warned Friday that Angola’s deportation of Congolese nationals is resulting in serious human rights violations by security forces on both sides of the border. Some 330,000 people have crossed from Angola back into the troubled Kasai and Kwango provinces…
New fighting that broke out Wednesday night in the North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo has sent civilians fleeing again in a region where authorities are struggling to contain a deadly Ebola outbreak. This time the clashes between suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Democratic Republic of Congo…
The Ministry of Health in Democratic Republic of Congo reports at least 12 people were killed and a dozen kidnapped in Beni by an armed rebel group long active in the same region where health workers are trying to contain the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. The clashes between…
The World Health Organization held an emergency meeting in Geneva on Wednesday to discuss the Ebola virus outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo, and concluded that the growing Ebola threat does not yet meet the threshold for a “public health emergency of international concern” designation. The assessment of the risk…
Officials in Angola defended on Tuesday the closure of 67 illegal diamond mine operations as part of its “Operation Transparency” crackdown, a National Police effort in seven provinces meant to curb illegal mining and migration. Police spokesman António Bernardo told state news agency ANGOP that some 260 Congolese migrants left…
With the Ebola virus death toll now at 130 in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s health minister announced Saturday a new approach in seeking to contain the outbreak in the face of security challenges. Dr. Oly Ilunga said health workers are turning to community-based teams to help…
The Ebola virus has now claimed 113 lives in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as experts from seven East African countries completed meetings in Uganda focused on response to the outbreak. “The discussions focused on the measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the current Ebola epidemic…
The Ebola virus has now claimed 106 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as World Health Organization workers return to the work of trying to contain its spread after a pause prompted by violence in the city of Beni. “WHO and partners are able to move more freely, though…
Violence in Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo is hindering the Ebola response in the region, where World Health Organization workers remained on lockdown Monday after 21 people died over the weekend, most of them civilians. Authorities say Ugandan rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group that…
The race to contain the Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of Congo took a difficult turn Sunday as a team of health workers was attacked in Beni, adding to the security and access concerns for workers in the volatile North Kivu province. Officials say a team’s vehicle was attacked by…