The Ministry has published Ebola DRC - Evolution of the response to the Ebola epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri on Tuesday February 12 2019. This is a long report; MOH is trying to put out some political fires. Excerpts from the Google translation:
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated 11 February 2019:
• Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 819, of which 758 are confirmed and 61 are probable. In total, there were 516 deaths (455 confirmed and 61 probable) and 278 people cured.
• 170 suspected cases under investigation.
• 3 new confirmed cases, including 1 in Katwa, 1 in Komanda and 1 in Butembo.
• 3 new deaths from confirmed cases (all community deaths), including 1 in Katwa, 1 in Komanda and 1 in Butembo.
• 1 new person healed out of Butembo CTE.
/! \ The data presented in this table is subject to further changes after thorough investigation and after redistribution of cases and deaths in their health areas.
News of the response
Location in Bunia
• The community death reported on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 in Komanda is a woman resident in Katwa who was the known contact of her husband who died of Ebola on January 20, 2019 in Katwa. She had refused follow-up contacts and vaccination. When she began to show signs of the disease, she fled with the help of her family to Bunia where she died. Her family in Butembo decided to bring the body to Vuhovi to bury her next to her husband. Having received the alert, Butembo's coordination of the response informed teams in the Ituri Provincial Division of Health to find the body and the family on the run. The security services intercepted the family at the Foner checkpoint in Komanda with the corpse who was disguised to make it appear that the young woman was still alive. The laboratory analyzes of the samples taken from the corpse and the dignified and secure burial were carried out in Komanda. The family members escaped but the provincial security services found them later.
• This case was classified in Komanda, where confirmation of the diagnosis of Ebola virus disease was made, in accordance with the convention adopted for this outbreak. Since this case went through Bunia during her illness, a mixed team of epidemiologists and vaccinators arrived in Bunia on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 for in-depth investigations to trace her journey upon her arrival in Bunia, identify all his contacts and vaccinate them.
Allegations of gender-based violence
• The Guardian published on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, an article entitled "Ebola vaccine offered in exchange for sex, Congo taskforce meeting told." The Ministry of Health contacted the Guardian asking them to correct the false allegations based on a misinterpretation of preliminary data from an assessment conducted by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The Department's response is available here.
• The Ministry of Health and its community engagement partners regularly conduct research and field surveys on various issues for the sole purpose of improving and adapting the response to the Ebola outbreak. These surveys are important tools for identifying and solving potential identified problems.
• In this case, IRC conducted an assessment in Beni on the impact of the Ebola outbreak and the response on women and girls. The results of this evaluation are still being analyzed and a final report will be published once all the analyzes are finalized. In focus group discussions, participants expressed concern that some services related to the Ebola response might be offered to women and girls in return for sexual favors given the social and security context in which they live. However, IRC clarified that during the discussions, no particular response service was mentioned by the participants. In addition, none of the focus group participants reported individual cases of sexual exploitation in exchange for any services related to the Ebola response.
• To date, the Ministry of Health has never received any complaints or reports of sexual exploitation by its staff as part of the Ebola response. Rumors about this had been circulating on social networks at one time and the Ministry of Health had been very clear that there would be no tolerance for this kind of behavior. Additional measures are being put in place to ensure a better system for detecting such incidents in the community.
• The exploitation of vulnerable groups in times of crisis is a real problem that must be taken into account in the design and adaptation of Ebola response strategies. These vulnerable groups are not just women and girls, but also include young boys, the elderly and people with disabilities. Together with our partners, we will continue to conduct community surveys and surveys to ensure the protection of all these vulnerable groups as part of the response to the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri.
Vaccination
• Since the start of vaccination on August 8, 2018, 78,000 people have been vaccinated , including 20,512 in Beni, 19,476 in Katwa, 8,907 in Butembo, 6,076 in Mabalako, 2,746 in Kalunguta, 2,391 in Goma, 2,200 in Komanda, 1,877 in Oicha. , 1,663 in Mandima, 1,325 in Kyondo, 1,283 in Kayina, 1,157 in Karisimbi, 1,074 in Bunia, 1,064 in Vuhovi, 920 in Masereka, 772 in Mutwanga, 700 in Lubero, 590 in Rutshuru, 567 in Biena, 546 in Musienene, 527 in Nyankunde, 396 in Mangurujipa, 355 in Tchomia, 254 in Alimbongo, 207 in Kirotshe, 180 in Rwampara (Ituri), 125 in Nyiragongo, 97 in Watsa (Haut-Uélé) and 13 in Kisangani.
• The only vaccine to be used in this outbreak is the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine, manufactured by the pharmaceutical group Merck, following approval by the Ethics Committee in its decision of 19 May 2018.
