The Israeli humanitarian organisation IsraAID is “mobilising emergency support as a growing regional Ebola outbreak spreads in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda,” it announced last week.
According to IsraAID, some 1,200 suspected or confirmed Ebola cases and more than 250 deaths have been reported in the DRC, while Uganda has confirmed seven cases and one death. The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which no approved vaccine currently exists.
IsraAID said its team in Uganda is working with Congolese refugees at the Nyakabande Transit Centre and Nakivale Refugee Settlement, providing personal protective equipment, hygiene supplies and public-health information to strengthen prevention efforts. The organisation said it is assessing needs with local partners and plans to deliver lifesaving supplies to affected communities.
“This outbreak is deeply concerning and we must all work together to halt the spread of Ebola and support affected communities,” said Tali Groshaus, IsraAID’s emergency and operations director.
“We are closely monitoring the Ebola situation,” added Delphine Mugisha, IsraAID Uganda’s director. “With the ongoing influx of people fleeing conflict in the DRC, Nyakabande is already more than double its capacity.”
Earlier in May, Israel’s Ministry of Health recommended against Israelis travelling to areas where there is an outbreak of the Ebola virus. The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a public-health emergency of international concern on May 17 and raised the risk level in Congo to “very high” on May 22.
IsraAID previously responded to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone and Liberia, focusing on support for frontline workers, community protection and mental-health services.
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