The Democratic Republic of Congo is to receive 4,000 doses of Ebola vaccine secured by the World Health Organisation as the global body prepares to deploy them.
The body’s Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti told Reuters that “We’re working on the deployment of these materials, especially readying the cold chain.”
“The start date of the vaccinations will depend on this deployment,” Moeti added.
WHO Director-General @DrTedros today visited the town of Bikoro in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assess the response to the current #Ebola outbreak
Latest case count (As of 13 May)
2 confirmed cases
20 probable
17 suspected? https://t.co/02Z0jfMFxa pic.twitter.com/1rIBiaixtG
— WHO (@WHO) May 13, 2018
The town of Bikoro in north-western Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded new cases of the deadly virus with 17 people reported to have died from the latest outbreak since December last year.
DRC is recording the latest cases of the virus after over a year since the outbreak killed four people.
“In Bikoro, Democratic Republic of the Congo (#DRC), I saw first-hand the efforts the national health authorities and all our partners are investing in rapidly establishing the key elements of #Ebola containment.”—@DrTedros https://t.co/02Z0jfMFxa pic.twitter.com/IayKpolRNX
— WHO (@WHO) May 13, 2018
Over 11,000 people died from the deadly virus in 2014 when it hit West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The virus which is transmitted by bats was first discovered in DRC in 1976 and named after the Ebola river.
Source: Africafeeds.com