South African Press Association
United Nations (New York)
The WHO has confirmed that there are three cases of Ebola in Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A further 20 people are suspected of having contracted the disease.The cases are concurrent with the movement of significant numbers of people across the border from the neighbouring Republic of the Congo. There are also unconfirmed reports of an outbreak in Bandundu Province. Despite the reports, the Government in Kinshasa has not confirmed the existence of a medical emergency. There has been no cooperation with international medical organisations outside the DRC, although the Democratic Republic of the Congo has accepted a delegation from the WHO and Medicines sans Frontiers to send assistants. The outbreak is a blow for hopes that the outbreak in West Africa could be contained, and follows an earlier outbreak in the Republic of Congo in August. This strand of Ebola is a new strand of Ebola, and has been described as making people “a timebomb”. The President of the DRC has called upon the people of WHO, and has stated that if this becomes more problematic, it will become a global epidemic. The president of the DRC has also asked for the assistance of the security council, and has done so without taking this decision lightly.
sydmun2014 