There are now over 1,000 suspected and confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, as cases continue to climb in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
There are 105 confirmed cases in that country, 10 people died as a result.
Moreover, ~906 are suspected cases, while 223 are suspected deaths.
WHO also confirmed epicenters are at Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu provinces.
There are an additional 7 confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda, which resulted in 1 death.
Virunga National Park, connecting the DRC with neighbours- Rwanda and Uganda, is not immune to the disease.
Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park, said the disease has been a double blow – “the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was already facing a major humanitarian crisis before this epidemic. The conflict has displaced millions of people. Funding for basic health care has been cut, and entire communities do not have access to essential health care. Adding to this today is a strain of Ebola for which there are no vaccine. Our teams are on the ground ready to respond, but the needs are immense and we cannot meet them without help.”
South Africa, led discussions with governments in Southern Africa, to actively respond to the recent Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, on Tuesday.
South Africa’s President Ramaphosa, also committed an initial US$5 million to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to support continental outbreak control.
The funds are expected to be used for surveillance of the disease, rapid response deployments, and cross-border preparedness.
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Picture: Supplied