Ebola Virus Disease

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s deadliest ever Ebola outbreak has shown signs of slowing in recent weeks, but militia attacks, anti-UN protests, and chronic community distrust are undermining the 16-month effort to end the epidemic. Simultaneous attacks on two Ebola health centres in the towns of Biakato and Mangina last month left four response workers dead, underlining the challenges responders still face building acceptance among communities in Congo’s restive eastern provinces. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced last week that it was withdrawing staff from Biakato following fresh attacks by a group reportedly armed with sticks and machetes. The medical charity was managing an Ebola Treatment Centre in the town. Relief efforts have also been suspended amid attacks blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia and escalating protests by residents who say UN peacekeepers and government forces stationed in the region are failing to protect them. Aid groups say k...

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s deadliest ever Ebola outbreak has shown signs of slowing in recent weeks, but militia attacks, anti-UN protests, and chronic community distrust are undermining the 16-month effort to end the epidemic. Simultaneous attacks on two Ebola health centres in the towns of Biakato and Mangina last month left four response workers dead, underlining the challenges responders still face building acceptance among communities in Congo’s restive eastern provinces. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced last week that it was withdrawing staff from Biakato following fresh attacks by a group reportedly armed with sticks and machetes. The medical charity was managing an Ebola Treatment Centre in the town. Relief efforts have also been suspended amid attacks blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia and escalating protests by residents who say UN peacekeepers and government forces stationed in the region are failing to protect them. Aid groups say k...

(Photo : Photo by NIAID on Trendhype / CC BY) The proposed Ebola virus vaccine stockpile can help people, especially in third world countries, to avoid the fatal disease. In recent years, the world, specifically the continent of Africa, has been plagued by the Ebola virus. Just last year, the  Democratic Republic of Congo declared its tenth Ebola outbreak , with 3,301 confirmed cases of infection in which 2,198 deaths are reported. This outbreak is considered to be the second largest after the Western Africa Ebola virus epidemic of 2014 to 2016.  As a precautionary measure, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization or GAVI announced on Thursday that it would invest $178 million to create a stockpile of 500,000 Ebola virus vaccines. WHAT IS EBOLA VIRUS AND WHAT DOES IT DO EXACTLY? Ebola Virus Disease, or Ebola, for short, is a highly fatal disease most common in the continent of Africa. It commonly affects humans and other primates such as monkeys, gorillas, and c...