A nine-year-old Congolese girl who tested positive for Ebola in neighbouring Uganda has died of the disease, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the current outbreak was approaching the grim milestone of 3,000 cases and 2,000 deaths. Her death makes her the fourth case to cross into Uganda amid the continuing struggle to contain the deadly outbreak. “She passed on at around eight o’clock this morning,” said Yusuf Baseka, health director in Kasese, a district in southwestern Uganda along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The child was diagnosed after exhibiting symptoms at a border crossing in Kasese on Wednesday. Eddy Kasenda, Ebola representative in the Congolese border town of Kasindi, said the girl’s body would be repatriated for burial. “We are finalising the administrative formalities so that the body is repatriated and buried here in Congo, her native country,” said Kasenda. “We are collaborating with the health services of neighbouring Uganda and we will strengthen the sanitary measures here in Kasindi.” Although cases of cross-border contamination have been rare, this case highlights the risk of Ebola spreading across borders into neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. Borders in the region are often porous, and many people travelling at night use bush paths to cross over. More than 25% of fatalities from the disease have been children in an epidemic with a higher than usual death rate. “This has been a particularly deadly outbreak, with a mortality rate of 67%, far higher than the 55% average case fatality rate for Ebola,” Heather Kerr, Save the Children’s country director in DRC, said in a statement warning that the epidemic was still “not under control”. “The youngest are the hardest hit – well over 500 children have died, many more have lost at least one of their parents or can no longer go to school because schools are closed or they have to work to make ends meet.” Joyce Moriku Kaducu, state minister for primary health, said on Thursday: “The ministry of health, with support from partners, have dispatched a rapid response team to Kasese to support the district teams to continue with various activities including case management, community engagement, contact tracing, psychological support and vaccination, among others.” “The ministry of health re-echoes its call to the general public to cooperate with the health workers, immigration and security officials to ensure effective screening at all points of entry to prevent the spread of Ebola to other parts of the country. The ministry of health reassures all Ugandans … the disease will be contained.” An average of 80 people per week are sickened by the virus, with the Congo’s North Kivu province being the hardest hit.Insecurity has been one factor in a region where rebel groups have fought for control of mineral-rich lands for decades. Ebola also has spread because of mistrust by communities who have also staged attacks against health workers. Many people in eastern Congo don’t trust doctors and other medics. “Many people are afraid to seek treatment for illnesses, worried they will be sent to an Ebola treatment centre where they fear they could contract the disease. As an actor within the response, we must assume our own responsibility,” said Bob Kitchen, vice-president of emergencies at the International Rescue Committee. “One year into the response, the lack of community acceptance remains the single greatest obstacle to containing the outbreak. Building trust with the community doesn’t just mean dialogue with the affected population. It means working with the community to adapt the response and address the overall needs they are facing inside and outside of the Ebola outbreak.” In June, a family of Congolese with some sick family members crossed into Uganda via a bush path. Two of them later died of Ebola, and the others were transferred back to Congo.Uganda has had multiple outbreaks of Ebola and hemorrhagic fevers since 2000. The WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will travel this weekend to Congo with UN secretary-general António Guterres and senior officials, including Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. On Friday he called on partners to increase their presence in the field. “Our commitment to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is that we will work alongside them to stop the Ebola outbreak,” said Tedros. “Our commitment also means strengthening the health systems to give them all the other things they need. Building strong systems is what will protect people, communities and the world.”
A Congolese girl has died from Ebola in Uganda, the fourth case to cross into the country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The nine-year-old showed signs of the infection in Kasese, which borders DRC. The current outbreak is poised to reach 3,000 cases and 2,000 deaths, the World Health Organisation said. More than a quarter of deaths in the current outbreak have been children and the epidemic has seen a higher death rate of 55%, compared with the average Ebola fatality rate of 67%, Heather Kerr from Save The Children said.