GENEVA: It is possible to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in Congo, but it will be difficult unless the right steps are taken within the next two weeks, a World Health Organization official said on Friday.
Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry last week declared the country’s first Ebola outbreak in three years. It is the country’s 16th outbreak overall and the first in Kasai province since 2008.
The latest data from the health ministry in Kinshasa said there were 32 suspected cases, 20 confirmed cases and 16 deaths.
Containing the outbreak is “possible, but it will be challenging if we miss the window of opportunity,” WHO Programme Area Manager Patrick Otim told a Geneva briefing, calling for more support for the government and other partners.
“We have the expertise, DRC has the expertise, but we need to be able to get the people and supplies into place and we need to be able to pay for the operations.”
