The World Health Organization has started vaccinating healthcare workers and contacting individuals in DR Congo’s Kasai province, after an Ebola outbreak claimed at least 16 lives. With slowed doses and funding setbacks, officials say the response is still slow as the nation fights its 16th outbreak of the killer virus.
Vaccination of people who came into contact with the Ebola virus and health care workers on the front lines has commenced in southern Kasai province, the World Health Organization stated on Sunday.
An Ebola outbreak in the Bulape locality in Kasai was declared earlier this month and has killed at least 16 and left 68 suspected cases, as per last week’s report by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Just 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been shipped out so far, with the remainder to follow later, the WHO stated. The mission has been slowed by restricted access and a low budget. The vaccination is set to increase subsequently as the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision authorized about 45,000 more vaccines, the WHO added, complementing an initial supply of 2,000 doses that was already in place.
The most recent Ebola epidemic is Congo’s 16th since 1976 and is caused by the Zaire species, which is named after the nation’s previous designation. It is yet another source of concern for the central African nation that is fighting a multi-faceted conflict against rebel factions, particularly in the eastern part of the nation, where fighting has ravaged the health system.
