CMRE has published Situation épidémiologique du 12 octobre 2019, with data for October 11. Excerpt from the Google translation:
EVOLUTION OF THE EPIDEMIC IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI AS AT OCTOBER 11, 2019
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 3,212, of which 3,098 are confirmed and 114 are probable. In total, there were 2,148 deaths (2034 confirmed and 114 probable) and 1031 people cured.
• 466 suspected cases under investigation;
• 2 new confirmed cases at CTE in Ituri in Mandima;
• 2 new confirmed deaths, including: 2 community deaths in Ituri in Mandima;
• No confirmed deaths in CTE;
• 3 people healed from the CTE, including 2 in Ituri in Komanda and 1 in North Kivu in Katwa;
• No health workers are among the newly confirmed cases. The cumulative number of confirmed / probable cases among health workers is 161 (5% of all confirmed / probable cases), including 41 deaths.
The data presented in this table are subject to change after extensive investigation and after redistribution of cases and deaths in their respective health areas.
NEWS
Organization of a press conference in Kinshasa on the evolution of Ebola Virus Disease
- The Technical Secretary of the Multisectoral Committee for Ebola Virus Epidemic Response (CMRE), Prof. Jean Jacques Muyembe Tamfum chaired this Saturday, October 12, 2019 in Kinshasa press conference during which he reported on the 10 th epidemic Ebola virus disease in DRC since its declaration on 1 st August 2018 to date;
- To this end, he showed the strategies used in the response of this epidemic and spoke of the use of technological innovations, while recalling that the Head of State, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, placed him at head of the technical secretariat of CMRE, with two main missions. This includes ending the epidemic as soon as possible and capitalizing on the achievements of this epidemic to strengthen the DRC's health system, starting with the three provinces affected by this epidemic;
- Speaking of the evolution of the response, he reported some tangible progress, notably from July 2019, where 90 confirmed cases per week were recorded, or 15 per day, while currently there are fewer than 20 case by week, ie 1 to 3 cases per day, or even zero cases confirmed as the 05 October 2019 last. In this period, three provinces were active (North and South Kivu, as well as Ituri), while today only the province of Ituri is affected . Today, only 9 zones are affected of the 22 recorded in July 2019, "said the technical secretary of the CMRE;
- He said that for now the epidemic is concentrated in the North from where it came before revealing itself in Mangina and Mabalako in North Kivu. Hence all efforts are concentrated to put an end to this epidemic as quickly as possible;
- Regarding strategies to end this epidemic, the Pof. Muyembe spoke about the change of approach that is now multisectoral and that at present, the outline of the epidemic is placed under the leadership of the presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo with as coordinator the Prime Minister. This committee has a technical secretariat which directs the general coordination managed by Prof. Steve Ahuka and the provincial sub-coordinators of the response;
- The second strategy was to maintain the motivation of the teams on the spot. This has been regularized with the support of the World Bank. An operating budget is now given to the coordination in Goma as well as all the co-ordination;
- The other strategy is to give more importance to national leadership. A partnership has been built with WHO, UNICEF and MSF that support coordination in Goma. Nationals are at the forefront and partners support. This has changed a lot on the field, says Professor Muyembe;
- Finally, notes the Technical Secretary, innovations have been made with this epidemic with the use of experimental vaccines, first RVSV zebov from Merck with belt vaccination which has shown its effectiveness;
- " It is time to use a new vaccine, following the recommendations of the SAGE expert group that advises WHO on immunization. On May 15, 2019 this group recommended using an adjusted dose of the RVSV vaccine to prevent a possible shortage due to the fact that the epidemic lasts a long time, "Prof. Muyembe;
- He added: " His second recommendation was to use a second preventive vaccine. After proposals, it is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that presents the most data on the scientific level . He announced that the teams are prepared to give correct communication and to vaccinate the population;
- He recalled that this second vaccine is used in West Africa since 2013, will also be used in Rwanda and Goma to protect the Congolese compatriots of Goma, where more than 64,000 of them cross the border daily. to go to Gisenyi and vice versa;
- The 1st batch of the vaccine J & J, 500 000 doses will arrive in the DRC from 18 October 2019 and the vaccination will not start at the beginning of November 2019 in two towns of Goma to extend then in d other provinces;
- The clinical trials carried out by the DRC will serve the world, since now two molecules tested are now available to break the chain of transmission during the next appearances of the Ebola virus.
- "From this year, Ebola became a curable disease because we found medicines to cure the sick. It can also be avoided by immunization, especially if both are presented in time,"concluded the technical secretary of the Multisectoral Ebola Epidemic Response Committee at the #Ebola Virus Disease, Muyembe Tamfum.
VACCINATION
- A new vaccination ring was opened around two confirmed cases from 10 October 2019 in the Biakato Health Area in Mangina / AS Biakato mine with low participation due to a strong community reluctance;
- Vaccination of newly recruited front-line staff continues at Kyondo Reference Hospital and Kayna Health Zone in Bulinda, North Kivu;
- Continuation of Local Polio Vaccination Days integrated with Vitamin A supplementation and Mebendazole deworming in 17 health zones at the Butembo antenna in North Kivu;
- Since the beginning of vaccination on August 8, 2018, 237,165 people have been vaccinated;
- 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 20 May 2018.
MONITORING AT ENTRY POINTS
- Since the beginning of the epidemic, the total number of travelers checked (temperature measurement ) at the sanitary control points is 105,171,551 ;
- To date, a total of 111 entry points (PoE) and sanitary control points (PoCs) have been set up in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri to protect the country's major cities and prevent the spread of the epidemic in neighboring countries.
