In May 2018, another Ebola outbreak killed nearly 40 people in the northwest region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). To help fight this disease that became an epidemic in 2014, doctors will test a new vaccination that proved to be successful earlier this year. Reuters reports North Kivu Province and Ituri Province have been affected by the latest outbreak.
“This new cluster is occurring in an environment which is very different from where we were operating in the northwest,” Peter Salama of the World Health Organization (WHO) said. “This is an active conflict zone. The major barrier will be safely accessing the affected population.” In that same statement, WHO’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the DRC remains “a constant threat” for Ebola but officials are optimistic in ridding the country of this disease.
Over 3,000 vaccines will be distributed to hopefully bring positive updates on each affected person’s health status. According to FOX News, this is the Congo’s tenth outbreak. Ebola was first discovered in the country in 1976.
The outbreak that WHO is currently working to eradicate was first established on May 8, 2018. The organization is currently working with the Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga, to help facilitate the vaccination process. A timeline has yet to be publicized.
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