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…
Every single child on the African continent under five years old is breathing air tainted by levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution higher than the World Health Organization air quality threshold. That’s according to a report released Monday by WHO that looks at the “silent killer” of air pollution…
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…
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…
There’s new concern over plague in Madagascar, where another six suspected cases were reported this week in the village of Iakora, which saw dozens of fatalities during a seasonal outbreak in 2016. The deaths all occurred during September, according to local media citing the National Gendarmerie in Ivohibe province. That’s…
The Ebola death toll jumped to 87 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the country’s Ministry of Health was confronted with a new challenge: a confirmed death in Butembo, a city of 1.4 million people. “Local authorities are focusing on how to enforce preventive measures,” said Sylvain Kanyamanda, the…
The Ebola death toll has risen to 77 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where health officials are working to contain the outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Most of the fatalities have been in Mabalako, where 60 people have died. Another three fatal cases are reported in…
The Ebola death toll has risen to 61 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where health officials are working to contain the outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Most of the fatalities have been in Mabalako, where 50 people have died. Another three fatal cases are reported in…
Armed conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern regions is a barrier in controlling the latest Ebola virus outbreak in the country, the World Health Organization director said Saturday while visiting the response centers in Beni and Mangina. “I call upon all warring parties to provide secure access to all…
The death toll has risen to 33 in Democratic Republic of Congo, where health officials are working to contain a new Ebola outbreak declared on Wednesday in the Beni region of Kivu province. The first Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs) will be located in Mangina, Beni and Goma, but the update…
A new Ebola outbreak in the Beni region of Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed at least 20 lives so far, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. Twelve experts from the ministry, based in Kinshasa, arrived in the Mangina and Mabalako communities on Thursday, with doctors, laboratory technicians, epidemiologists…
Tedros Adhanom, the World Health Organization Director General, returned to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday to check on the progress of Ebola treatment and containment. He then visited Central African Republic, one of nine neighboring countries taking preparedness measures. “We have made great progress in the fight…