Once again the challenges facing the World Health Organization became obvious when three patients suffering from Ebola escaped from quarantine in the port city of Mbandaka (where some 1.2 million people live in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo) just as the country's outbreak is growing.
Two of those patients have since died, and it is unknown with how many people they’ve been in contact with since.
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The third patient was luckily enough found alive and is now back under observation.
Mr. Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, admitted that this is how things go in central Africa: "It is unfortunate but not unexpected. It is normal for people to want the loved ones to be at home during what could be the last moments of life."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ebola?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ebola</a> response timeline so far.<br>Briefing <a href="https://t.co/UxCM72fgL6">https://t.co/UxCM72fgL6</a><br>️ <a href="https://t.co/7pQOoM7890">https://t.co/7pQOoM7890</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHA71?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WHA71</a> <a href="https://t.co/8izMomZ5ju">pic.twitter.com/8izMomZ5ju</a></p>— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/999268567316090880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Because Ebola virus is not like any other disease and because exposure to the dead body or bodily fluids or personal items of the person who died of Ebola can spread the disease, it is important for us to be able to explain these issues to the family members," he added.
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"We are working with local community leaders, traditional leaders and healers, and religious leaders to better engage with communities so that we understand each other better and can work together in stopping the outbreak."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has the clear "potential to expand," <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHO</a> warns <a href="https://t.co/cV38Gy5Uuy">https://t.co/cV38Gy5Uuy</a> <a href="https://t.co/BfZwx88VoT">pic.twitter.com/BfZwx88VoT</a></p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/999564423491670016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Given the many religious and traditional practices (especially during funerals) which many of them follow that are not necessarily aligned with health recommendations, containing the disease in this Central African nation is proving to be much trickier than authorities had foreseen.
Mr. Jose Barahona, Oxfam's country director in the Democratic Republic of Congo, explained: "We hear people having doubts and worries about the epidemic.”
“Some people don't believe in the Ebola virus or in the medication provided; others are afraid of it. We have seen cases of people leaving hospitals and refusing care, which could have dramatic consequences. There are also some traditional practices concerning the handling and burial of dead bodies that can increase the risk of transmission after death."
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