Ebola Crisis in the DRC - Emergency Response - World Health Organization 2019

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been battling its 10th Ebola outbreak since 1 August 2018 in the conflict-affected provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. This outbreak is now only second in magnitude to the 2014 West Africa outbreak. On July 17 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current Ebola outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” indicating that the outbreak requires a more robust coordinated international response. In addition the risk of spread of the virus to neighbouring countries remains very high. The WHO released its Strategic Plan 4 (July to December 2019) outlining its strategy to scale-up the response in order to stop further spread of the disease. With GAC’s support WHO’s emergency operations work to help reduce and control the spread of the Ebola virus in the affected regions in the DRC and in surrounding countries. Project activities include: (1) deploying experts to assess outbreak threat; (2) strengthening surveillance and follow up on persons identified as having contracted the virus;(3) coordinating and implementing vaccination campaigns; (4) training community health workers; (5) delivering essential medicines supplies and equipment; and (6) strengthening health sector coordination and health information systems.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to emergency medical care for people infected by or at risk of contracting Ebola; (2) improved surveillance early detection and rapid assessment of disease outbreak; (3) increased access to essential life-saving health services; (4) safe and dignified burials; and (5) improved coordination of the health response. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis with health emergencies or acute food insecurity.