Healthcare workers were among the earliest victims of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a World Health Organization official has revealed.
WHO Emergency Director, Marie Roseline Belizaire, said during a virtual briefing from eastern Congo on Friday that 75 healthcare workers have been infected since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, with 17 deaths recorded among them.
“It is a really high price that the healthcare system is paying, because we don’t have enough healthcare workers in DRC,” Belizaire said.
The WHO official explained that around 90% of Ebola patients did not initially develop hemorrhagic symptoms, a situation that led many to remain at home while using self-medication, while others turned to traditional healers for treatment.
Health authorities in Congo have so far confirmed nearly 900 Ebola cases, including 232 fatalities, reported across 33 health zones in three provinces since the outbreak began.
More than a month into the outbreak, officials say community resistance continues to pose a major obstacle to efforts focused on controlling the spread of the virus.
Belizaire stressed that with infections still being detected in several locations, response activities must be intensified and accelerated.
The outbreak has spread through the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with Ituri province accounting for almost 95% of the reported cases.
On Friday, Health Minister Roger Kamba visited Bunia Hospital, located in Ituri’s provincial capital, where he praised doctors and nurses for their continued efforts in responding to the Ebola crisis.
“Our priority is to detect cases quickly, treat the sick free of charge and raise awareness so that the population collaborates with the response teams. The disease exists, but it can be defeated if everyone plays their part,” he told reporters.
