H5N1

Pakistan accused of cover-up over fresh polio outbreak

Via The Guardian, an appalling report: Pakistan accused of cover-up over fresh polio outbreak. Excerpt:

Officials in Pakistan have been accused of covering up an outbreak of the most dangerous strain of polio and planning a covert vaccination programme to contain the disease. 

According to a source in Pakistan’s polio eradication programme and documentation seen by the Guardian, a dozen children have been infected with the P2 strain of polio, which causes paralysis and primarily effects those under five. The P2 strain had previously been eliminated from the country. 

However, the new cases were allegedly kept hidden from the government and from international donors, including the UK’s Department for International Development, under direct instruction from Babar Bin Atta, the prime minister’s focal representative on polio eradication, who was last month forced to resign after he was accused of corruption. DfID has donated millions to Pakistan’s polio eradication programme.  

The alleged cases, which have all resulted in paralysis, have been discovered mainly in Diamer district, with one in the capital, Islamabad. 

Under Pakistani law, every new case of polio in the country has to be officially registered with the government, which then alerts international health bodies. “But to hide their negligence and their poor performance, Babar Bin Atta decided not disclose the cases to anyone,” said the source.  

The re-emergence of P2 would not only be a dramatic step back in Pakistan’s fight against the polio, it would also be symptomatic of what those in the programme have described as “terrible mismanagement” under Bin Atta.  

Alongside Afghanistan, Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world that has not entirely eradicated polio. It was a key milestone in 2014, when Pakistan officially declared it had entirely eradicated P2 polio.  

Polio exists in three different strands, P1, P2, and P3, with P2 notorious as the most contagious and most vicious in its impact on those infected. 

According to the source within the programme, the renewed outbreak of the P2 strand came from a mismanagement of vaccines, which carry a live strain of the disease to create immunity.  

After the strand was eliminated from Pakistan five years ago, all P2 vaccines should have been collected from hospitals and clinics and not used. However, it appears a P2 vaccine was administered accidentally and a child became a carrier for the disease. Tests on the new cases allegedly show the children are all carrying a form of the disease that originates in vaccine form.

Attacks on Ebola response 1 - 15 October 2019 - DR Congo

Via ReliefWeb, a report from Insecurity Insight: Attacks on Ebola Response 1 - 15 October 2019 - Democratic Republic of the Congo. Excerpt:

29-30 September 2019: In Biakato, Mambasa territory, Ituri province, a group of around thirty armed men identified as Mai Mai militants attacked a group of Ebola responders at their residence during the night. The assailants – who were reportedly looking to avenge the death by Ebola of a nurse who they believe was willfully killed by the responders – fled the scene after the rapid intervention of local police officers. No injuries were reported. Source: Anadolu Agency 

01 October 2019: In Kamesi Mbonzo village, Butembo town, North Kivu province, men armed with knives attacked the Ikala health post, and set fire to Ebola-related equipment. Source: Kivu Security 

02 October 2019: In Mangina town, near Beni city, North Kivu province, a group of armed men attempted to attack an Ebola treatment centre but were successfully pushed back by local police officers. No injuries were reported. Source: Radio Moto  

06 October 2019: In Mambasa, Ituri province, Mai Mai militants attempted to blackmail Ebola health responders, demanding money while threatening to launch an imminent attack on an Ebola treatment centre should the request be declined. The militants claimed that the requested funds were intended to cover the burial costs of someone who died from Ebola. Source: Radio Okapi 

08 October 2019: In Lwemba, Mambasa territory, Ituri province, the Ebola health response resumed its activities on a limited basis after having been suspended in midSeptember in the aftermath of attacks on health facilities and residences belonging to responders. Sources: CIDRAP and CMRA 

09 October 2019: In Pinga, North Kivu province, a group of youths protested in front of an office of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR), demanding the release of an Ebola medic who was reportedly taken to the office to have his documents checked. Source: ACLED1 

Around 13 October 2019: In Lomami province, the chief medical officers responsible for the medical zones of East Kalonda, Ngandajika, Kamana, Kalambayi, and Tshofa were suspended and charged with the embezzlement of international funds. Source: Media Congo

DRC Ebola: Placed in custody, Oly Ilunga promises to defend himself with 'the most extreme energy for his honor'

Via Actualite.cd: DRC: Placed in custody, Oly Ilunga promises to defend himself with "the most extreme energy for his honor". The Google translation:

Placed in custody on Saturday, September 14, the former health minister, Oly Ilunga, promises "to defend himself with the utmost energy for his honor," his lawyers said. Arrested in Kinshasa around 11 am, he is accused by the judicial police the alleged embezzlement of a sum of about 4.3 million US dollars made available to the Ministry of Health by the public treasury for the fight against my disease Ebola virus.

According to his lawyers, "the US $ 2.4 million placed at the disposal of the Minister's office in 11 months through the authorized public accountant, the accounting documents that are in the file sufficiently attest that this sum was exclusively used for the purpose of combating EBOLA virus disease. He therefore firmly reaffirms his innocence in this affair and promises to defend himself with the utmost energy for his honor."  

According to them, "at this stage more than US $ 1.9 million of this sum has been disbursed in one month after the resignation of Dr ILUNGA so that he can not answer at all".  

According to the Police, the former minister will have to be referred Monday, September 16 to the Prosecutor General Near the Court of Cassation.

DRC Ebola: Oly Ilunga placed in police custody

Via Actualite.cd: RDC: Oly Ilunga placed in police custody. The Google translation:

Former Minister of Health Oly Ilunga has been detained since Saturday 14 September 2019 at the National Coordination of the Judicial Police. Police sources say that the former minister wanted to leave the country illegally in order to escape justice, told NEWS.CD Colmonel Pierrot Mwanamputu, spokesman of the Congolese National Police (PNC).

Dr. Oly Ilunga was heard in early September by the judiciary in a survey on the use of public funds allocated to the response to the Ebola outbreak. In 13 months, the outbreak has killed more than 2,000 people.

Appointed in December 2016, the doctor resigned on 22 July, after the coordination of the Ebola response was withdrawn by President Felix Tshisekedi.

While minister, Oly Ilunga also opposed the introduction of a second vaccine manufactured "by actors who showed a manifest lack of ethics", according to his words. The rejected vaccine is a manufacture of the Belgian laboratory Janssen, a subsidiary of the American Johnson & Johnson.

DR Congo police detain former health minister in Ebola probe

Via Thomson Reuters: Congo police detain former health minister in Ebola probe.

KINSHASA, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A former Congolese health minister was taken into custody on Saturday over alleged mismanagement of funds for the country's response to the Ebola epidemic, police said. 

Oly Ilunga oversaw Democratic Republic of Congo's handling of the outbreak, the second deadliest in history, for nearly a year. He was stripped by the presidency of that responsibility in July and resigned from the government days later. 

Earlier in September, his lawyers said he had been questioned by police about his role managing the Ebola response. They denied any wrongdoing by Ilunga.  

In a statement, the national police said Ilunga was detained because they believed he planned to evade legal proceedings by leaving the country.  

"Unfortunately, police received information about his disappearance with a view to reaching Congo-Brazzaville," the police's press service said, referring to neighbouring Congo Republic. 

It said Ilunga was in police custody and would come before a prosecutor on Sept. 16.  

His lawyers declined immediate comment. 

Foreign donors have provided more than $150 million in funding to the Ebola response over the past year, but the United Nations has said hundreds of millions of dollars more are needed. 

The outbreak has so far killed over 2,000 people and infected 1,000 more. Only the 2013-16 epidemic in West Africa, which killed more than 11,300, was deadlier.

DRC: The three priorities of the new Minister of Public Health

Since Dr Muyembe took over the Ebola response, we've heard very little about the Ministry of Public Health—in part because it's taken months for the new president to form a government. Via Digitalcongo.net: DRC: the three priorities of the new Minister of Public Health. The Google translation:

The new Minister of Public Health, Eteni Longondo, occupied his offices in the government building on Monday 9 September. 

The new Minister of Health who swears by change and has three major priorities in this sector with multiple challenges.  

One: Strengthen the health system and its administration. This could facilitate the continuation of the work.  

Two: to cope with several epidemics currently raging in the country. In addition to Ebola, which in one year has killed more than 1,800 people, according to official data, measles is also raging in the country. It has already caused twice as many victims as Ebola. There is also polio, the permanent enemy of the DRC.  

Three: improving governance. Eteni Longondo wants to put order in the procurement circuit, imposing transparency. "We want to restore better collaboration with health partners. May they regain lost trust," he says. 

Mastering the physician workforce is also his concern. "It is unfair that those who work get paid for fictitious names."   

A trained and career doctor, the new minister declares the end of business in this sector, which makes health care conditional on money, without worrying about bringing first aid to the patient.  

"Man is at the center of everything. We will manage differently. That the Congolese support this government led by Prime Minister Ilunga. Together, we will work to improve the health of Congolese according to the vision of the President of the Republic," he promised.  

Eteni Longondo, 54, comes from the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), where he served as Deputy Secretary General for Finance and Logistics.

Former DR Congo health minister questioned by police over Ebola spending

Via The Globe and Mail, a Reuters report by Fiston Mahamba: Former Congo health minister questioned by police over Ebola spending. Excerpt:

Democratic Republic of Congo’s former health minister has been questioned by police over his management of funds in the country’s response to the Ebola epidemic, his lawyers said on Monday. 

They denied any wrongdoing by Oly Ilunga and said no formal accusations had been made against him relating to the Ebola response. Any allegations, they said, would be “unfounded (and) without basis in evidence”. 

Ilunga oversaw the government’s response to the outbreak, the second deadliest in history, for nearly a year. He was stripped by the presidency of that responsibility in July and resigned from the government days later. 

In his resignation letter, he sharply criticized the new government team overseeing the response and what he said was pressure by health officials and outside groups to introduce a second vaccine to combat the epidemic. 

Ilunga’s lawyers, Guy Kabeya and Willy Ngashi, said their client was first summoned by the police in July to respond to accusations by a health official that Ilunga had abused his authority and misappropriated funds unrelated to Ebola.  

Then, late last month, after three of the advisers had been detained for unknown reasons, they said, Ilunga was questioned about his role managing the Ebola response and the circumstances of his resignation, the lawyers said in a statement.  

They said police asked Ilunga to provide documentation regarding payments made to village chiefs in return for work they did spreading information about Ebola as well as monthly bonuses distributed to ministry employees. 

A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

DRC Ebola: Dr. Oly Ilunga's lawyers ask DGM DG to rescind decision banning their client from leaving national territory

Via Actualite.cd: DRC: Dr. Oly Ilunga's lawyers ask DGM DG to rescind decision banning their client from leaving national territory. The Google translation:

The lawyers of the former Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga have asked the Director General of the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) to cancel his decision taken on August 30 against their client, prohibiting any departure from the national territory.

These lawyers criticize the CEO of the DGM four facts among which "his incompetence to make this decision". They cited Article 3 of Legislative Decree No. 002/2003 of 11 January 2003 establishing and operating the DGM. 

"It does not appear at all from the provisions of the DGM that the decision to prohibit a person from leaving the national territory falls within the remit of the Director General of the DGM. So it is clear in this case that the DGM has acted beyond its competence," say the lawyers of Oly Ilunga in a note on Monday 2 September to the DG of Migration Police.  

In addition to incompetence, the lawyers denounce the lack of motivation, the darkness of the motivation and the inequality of the decisions in connection with the two documents of the DGM prohibiting the ex-minister of health to leave the Congolese territory . 

Dr. Ilunga was heard in the beginning of last week by the judiciary in a survey on the use of public funds allocated to the response to the Ebola epidemic in the east of the country. In 13 months, the disease has killed more than 2,000 people. 

Appointed in December 2016, the doctor resigned on 22 July, after the coordination of the Ebola response was withdrawn by President Felix Tshisekedi.

While minister, Oly Ilunga also opposed the introduction of a second vaccine manufactured "by actors who showed a manifest lack of ethics", according to his words.The rejected vaccine is a manufacture of the Belgian laboratory Janssen, a subsidiary of the American Johnson & Johnson.

'To defeat Ebola in 5 weeks is possible, we have already done it 8 times' (Dr Miatudila)

Via Topcongofm.net: "To defeat Ebola in 5 weeks is possible, we have already done 8 times" (Dr Miatudila). Excerpt from the Google translation:

"We can beat Ebola in less than five weeks," said Dr. Jules Miatudila Malonga, a former expert from the World Health Organization (WHO).  

To achieve this, we must "apply the Congolese strategy of putting the community forward, give them the information and the intellectual, technical and material means to support themselves and be content to support its efforts."  

Guest of the FACE-TO-FACE Magazine on TOP CONGO FM, this former WHO expert recalls that "these strategies have worked since 1976 until the eve of the 10th epidemic. This has been proven more than 8 times. The statistics are there."  

Dr. Jules Miatudila Malonga says he is confident "in Professor Muyembe who took part in the first response in 1976 and his team. We really think there is hope this time." 

Medical arrogance  

After previous victories against the Ebola virus disease, "we wanted to medicalize the problem. It has been said that it is a disease that we doctors are going to treat. All we ask the population is to cooperate with us instead of the other way around. That's the mistake we made."  

This former WHO expert denounces what he describes as "medical arrogance. This is the real mistake we made. Yet the solution to defeating Ebola is in the hands of the community." 

He even recalls that "until proven otherwise, we do not yet have treatment for the Ebola virus. We have palliatives. 

Oly Ilunga, victim of international pressure  

The former health minister, who has resigned from office challenging the ruling of the Presidency of the Republic to put under his tutelage the response against Ebola virus disease, is  "a victim of medical or international pressure."  

Dr. Jules Miatudila Malonga notes that "Kivu is a region where there are many international NGOs. As soon as Ebola appeared, the NGOs took the lead without taking into account the chief zone doctors." 

For him, "the responsibility for the fight, at the local level, is given to the chief zone doctor. When the epidemic broke out in Likati in Lower Uele, the zone chief medical officer with a small team, without international intervention, managed to solve the problem with the community."  

Unfortunately, "the fact is that in wanting to make money, there are some vicious motives that are unfortunately created."

DRC Ebola: Oly Ilunga Kalenga banned from leaving the country

Via Afriwave.com: DRC: Oly Ilunga Kalenga banned from leaving the country! The Google translation:

The former Attorney General, Oly Ilunga Kalenga, was told by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Kinshasa Court of Cassation with three of his former advisers that he would be "banned from leaving the country" until further notice. 

This is what reveals a document called "Message" dated 31 August 2019 from the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) circulating on social networks and AFRIWAVE.COM has read. 

The text and signature states: "Order of the hierarchy, the name Oly Ilunga Kalenga, honorary Minister of Health in the DRC, to be banned from leaving the national territory, wide dissemination." 

A second document apparently signed on the same date adds the names of former collaborators of Dr. Ilunga who are subject to the same measure of prohibition to leave the territory. They are Mukendi Nyembo Olivier, Mbuyi Mwase Ezekiel, Ernest Mbo Ilenge.

Contacted anonymously, a security officer in charge and an expert in defense and security methods both explain that "the  language used in this document proves its authenticity"; so much the "false" has been challenged in recent hours in other similar cases of so-called "official" documents.  

Coming from Belgium where he worked as Director of Clinics and where his family still resides, Dr. Oly Ilunga had nevertheless emerged free and without questioning his hearing at the beginning of the week, despite the "custody" of his former employees. 

If this prohibition of exit from territory proves to be correct, the opinion wonders what the investigators could discover in the file on the "management of the funds allocated to the response to the Ebola virus disease when Oly Ilunga was charge."