75 medics among 1st people infected by Ebola in DR Congo

Healthcare workers were among the first people infected when the current Ebola outbreak started in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to an official of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Some 75 healthcare workers have contracted Ebola since the outbreak was declared on May 15, and 17 of them died, WHO Emergency Director Marie Roseline Belizaire told a virtual news briefing from eastern Congo on Friday.

“It is a really high price that the healthcare system is paying, because we don't have enough healthcare workers in DRC,” Belizaire said.

According to the WHO official, about 90% of Ebola patients initially did not show hemorrhagic symptoms, where many people remained at home on self-medication, while others sought treatment from traditional healers.

Congolese health authorities have reported nearly 900 confirmed Ebola cases, including 232 deaths across 33 health zones in three provinces since the outbreak.

More than a month after the latest Ebola outbreak, officials say community resistance remains a challenge to efforts aimed at containing the virus.

Belizaire said as cases continue to be reported across multiple areas, there is a need to accelerate response measures.

The virus is spreading across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with Ituri accounting for nearly 95% of the cases.

On Friday, Health Minister Roger Kamba visited Bunia Hospital in the provincial capital of Ituri, where he commended the commitment of the doctors and nursing staff who mobilize daily in the fight against Ebola.

“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.