As the number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to rise, the African Union’s health agency has warned that more countries on the continent are at risk of being affected
by the virus.
According to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP), the last World Health Organization (WHO) toll on Friday put the number of deaths at 177 from 750 suspected cases. Meanwhile, the DRC health ministry’s statement said 204 deaths had been recorded in three provinces of the vast Central African country, from 867 suspected cases.
“We have 10 countries at risk,” said Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, listing Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
Kaseya further said “high mobility and insecurity” in the region were helping spread the disease.
On Friday, the WHO raised the risk from Ebola in the DRC to its highest level – “very high”. While it put the risk in Central Africa as “high”, the global risk remained “low”.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit or semen from infected individuals. The virus has historically spread rapidly during community funerals and caregiving activities. The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific medicines. The WHO has called for an urgent and coordinated international response to contain the outbreak before it spreads further across borders in the region.
Recently, India postponed its upcoming Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit, which was scheduled to take place in New Delhi next week.
The decision to postpone the summit was made after consultations were held between the Government of India, the Chairperson of the African Union, and the African Union Commission regarding the holding of the Summit and associated activities.
Last week, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) issued an advisory over Ebola virus, asking sick passengers from or transiting through affected countries to “immediately” report to airport’s health official.
