97 Ebola cases identified in Goma after one death, vaccination ahead

The Inspirer Reporter.

Health officials say they have listed a string of 97 people who have been in contact with the first case of the Ebola outbreak confirmed last Sunday in Goma before his death the next day on the Butembo road where he was transferred for last medical decision.

On Monday, July 15, 37 high-risk contacts and 40 Goma confirmed case contacts were vaccinated at the Afia Himbi health center where the patient was isolated before being transferred to the Ebola Treatment Center (ETC), Ministry of Health.

“In total, 97 contacts in the broad sense have already been listed to date. Vaccination will continue until all identified contacts have been vaccinated. Among the contacts identified were two women from the pastor’s family traveling with him. After the pastor’s transfer to CTE, they hid in Goma and some people thought they fled to Bukavu in South Kivu province. Fortunately, the two women were found in Goma on Tuesday and will be vaccinated. Say the health authorities.

During a “high level” meeting organized jointly by WHO and OCHA on Ebola in the DRC last Monday in Geneva, Dr. Oly Ilunga, Minister of Health said that everything was set up to fight back against possible cases of the epidemic in Goma.

“Since the beginning of this epidemic, we have been preparing with the WHO for the possibility of positive cases in Goma. The situation is under control and is being managed, as we did a few weeks ago with the positive case reported in Uganda, “he said adding that Goma is not the first provincial capital to report a positive case: “this was the case in Bunia a few weeks ago and in Mbandaka during the ninth epidemic,” he said.

WHO convenes another emergency meeting this Wednesday in Geneva this time after confirmation of a case of the outbreak in Goma.

“All the elements that come to the scene of the fight against Ebola are important including the first case in Goma,” said Fadela Chaib, WHO spokesperson.

On Tuesday, Dr Michel Yao, Ebola response coordinator for WHO in North Kivu and Ituri said that with the confirmation of a positive case of Ebola in Goma, the risk of spreading the disease is very high in neighboring provinces but also in neighboring countries including Rwanda.

theinspirerpublicationas@gmail.com