ebola

Reacting to the World Health Organization’s declaration of the Ebola outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) — with over 400 suspected cases and 89 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo — Dr. Manenji Mangudu, Oxfam Country Director in the DRC, said: “ With millions lacking access to functioning health facilities, this novel strain risks an already catastrophic crisis over the edge."  

Reacting to discussions on the Ebola response at the World Health Assembly, Oxfam’s senior health policy advisor Mohga Kamal-Yanni said: “Broken health systems need fixing and it takes more than words to make this happen. Now is the time for world leaders to take action if they hope to prevent another health crisis from devastating people’s lives."

Ebola is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, putting already vulnerable communities at greater risk. Here’s what you need to know about the situation and why aid cuts matter. Oxfam’s Ebola response focuses on providing clear health information and working with local partners leading prevention efforts to stop the virus from spreading, but the response remains critically limited and urgently needs more funding to save lives. 

Several of the most recent confirmed cases of Ebola are reported to have passed through a number of screening check points unnoticed.

A year after the current Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), new Ebola cases in Goma show potential for virus to spiral out of control.

The World Health Organization's declaration is a major step in attracting the world’s attention to the Ebola crisis in DRC

Lack of trust means many Ebola cases in the DRC are going unnoticed as people avoid treatment.

Humanitarian organisations call for urgent assistance. Urgent action is needed to help tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes following armed attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The current response is failing the people it is supposed to be helping as focusing purely on the medical side is not enough to contain the epidemic.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is battling to keep Ebola under control; cases are increasing at a quicker rate and the virus has spread further.