WHO urges ceasefire in Congo to contain Ebola as cases surge
World Health Organization (WHO) head called for a ceasefire on Wednesday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "We urge all warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to contain this outbreak."
The call for a ceasefire is due to an Ebola outbreak in Ituri province outpacing the response. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment, was declared an emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization earlier this month, and cases are rising sharply. Over 900 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths have so far been reported in three provinces in eastern Congo including the North Kivu province, held by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, and South Kivu province, controlled by rebel group the Alliance Fleuve Congo. Aid group Save the Children said on Wednesday a quarter of the confirmed deaths were children, calling for a scale-up in infection prevention measures. Donors have pledged around $500 million to help with the outbreak but not all has been disbursed, according to health officials.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is due to travel to the region this week.
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The WHO is calling for a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ongoing fighting is allegedly spreading a deadly disease in overcrowded camps - but what does this mean for the region?
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