The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been officially declared over after 29 people died and dozens more were infected.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, hailed the work of local teams charged with combatting the fatal disease.
“The outbreak was contained due to the tireless efforts of local teams, the support of partners, the generosity of donors, and the effective leadership of the Ministry of Health,” he said. “That kind of leadership, allied with strong collaboration between partners, saves lives.”
The rapid release of WHO funds following the declaration of the outbreak on 8th May has also been credited as a key factor in bringing a quick end to the outbreak as has the availability of a vaccine following its successful trial in Guinea in 2016 – one of three countries in West Africa where Ebola claimed more than 11,300 lives between 2013 and 2016.
The latest outbreak in the DRC – the ninth in the country in the past 40 years – was complicated by the fact that it occurred in four separate locations including a major urban centre – the city of Mbandaka, where more than a million people live – which has a direct connection via the Congo River to the capital of Kinshasa as well as neighbouring countries.
Tedros appealed to authorities and health bodies in the DRC to now transfer the momentum gathered in fighting Ebola to other diseases in the nation including cholera and polio.
“We must continue to work together, investing in strengthened preparedness and access to health care for the most vulnerable,” he said.
