WHO Warns of Massive Global Ebola Outbreak Brewing in Congo

Ebola outbreak in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could aggravate quickly because of attacks by armed groups, resistance by the community and the geographic spread of the disease, reports the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly the outbreak has killed 100 people out of 150 cases in North Kivu and Ituri region.

Peter Salama, the WHO's head of emergency response told a news conference in Geneva that they are extremely concerned about numerous factors which may be evolving together over the next weeks and months to create a potential perfect storm of Ebola outbreak.

Although the weekly amount of new cases dropped from 40 to 10 approximately in the past few weeks and almost 11,700 people have been vaccinated, larger obstacles remain ahead, said Salama.

A new number of Ebola cases were generating because of "reluctance, refusal and resistance" to accept Ebola vaccination. Few people were escaping into the forest to avoid Ebola follow-up treatment and checkups.

The resistance among people driven by the natural fear of this terrifying disease is being exploited by local politicians who may gather momentum and make it very hard to battle against the last cases of Ebola.

DRC government and the United Nations were severely criticized in social media as neighboring Uganda is posing an imminent threat against Ebola.

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"If WHO and its partners had to leave North Kivu we would have serious concerns that this outbreak would not be able to be well controlled in the coming weeks or months," Salama said.

Source-Medindia