The Head of the World Health Organization, WHO, Dr. Tedro Ghebreyesus, has said another case of Ebola has been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, and that an experimental vaccine to fight the disease is expected to become available in the country this week.
Dr. Ghebreyesus, who was paying a two-day visit to DRC, said the suspected new case was in Bikoro, at the centre of the latest Ebola outbreak in the country’s northwest, where so far 18 people have died. That brings to 35 the number of reported cases, including two confirmed cases, according to the tally made by the UN agency.
The WHO is planning to begin a vaccination campaign in the area, near the border with the Republic of Congo, using an available stockpile of an experimental vaccine. Dr. Ghebreyesus said the vaccines were expected to arrive yesterday or today (Friday). He assured that there would be adequate supply of the vaccines, without specifying the number of doses.
After meeting with DRC President, Joseph Kabila, in Kinshasa, the WHO boss commended “the government’s very strong leadership” in responding to the health crisis and its “good coordination” with development partners such as UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders (DWB).
He said he hoped for better results in this ninth Ebola virus outbreak in the DRC since 1976, when it was first identified.
The worst-ever Ebola outbreak started in December 2013 in southern Guinea before spreading to two neighbouring West African countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing more than 11,300 people out of nearly 29,000 registered cases.
