Hong Kong News Network, May 25. As the Ebola virus epidemic continues to spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the risk of the Congo (DRC) epidemic from "high risk" to "extremely high risk" on May 22 ". As the epidemic is spreading to neighboring countries, many African countries have recently held an emergency ministerial meeting to discuss cross-border cooperation strategies and curb the spread of the epidemic.

On May 23, medical staff carried out killing work in Mongbwalu, Ituri Province, Congo (DRC). Photo by Xinhua News Agency

According to the "Global Times" report, the latest statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that as of the 23rd of this month, the number of confirmed cases in Congo (DRC) has reached 83, and there are 746 suspected cases. At present, the country has a total of 9 confirmed deaths and 176 suspected deaths. Previously, the country's epidemic only appeared in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, and recently there have been new confirmed cases in the eastern province of South Kivu. At the same time, neighbouring Uganda added three cases, bringing the number of confirmed cases to five, one of whom has died. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning on the 23rd that the epidemic may spread to many countries in Africa. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia are all facing Epidemic risk.

Due to the surge in Ebola cases, on the evening of May 23, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued the ''Ebola Virus Disease Prevention and Control Tips, ''stating that in order to control related risks, recently from Congo (Kinshasa) and Uganda and other epidemic-risk countries and regions People coming (returning) to China need to undergo 21 days of self-health monitoring from the date of entry.

In order to curb the spread of the Ebola virus epidemic, the WHO recently organized a ministerial meeting in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, to focus on cross-border coordination of anti-epidemic work. In the face of key government officials from many countries, Mary Belimzel, head of WHO's African regional emergency response department, stated the importance of taking precautions and strengthening cross-border monitoring systems, emphasizing that "time is life" and "delays will cause serious consequences". WHO Director-General Tan Desai said that WHO has sent 22 international experts to participate in the fight against the epidemic, and the United Nations has also allocated US $60 million million for the fight against the epidemic.

Up to now, Congo (DRC) has taken a series of Ebola virus epidemic control measures. According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the 24th, the country's Ministry of Transport has recently suspended all flights to and from Bunia, the capital city of Ituri Province. Even flights for medical or humanitarian rescue missions and other emergency affairs must be approved by the country's civil aviation and health departments in advance. On the 22nd of this month, Ituri Province issued an administrative order limiting the number of people gathered in public places to less than 50, and at the same time suspended the local football league. Not only that, the government also stipulates that funeral activities must be organized by professional funeral teams and prohibits non-medical vehicles from transporting corpses. Uganda has also suspended cross-border flights, ferries and public transport services such as buses.

Sun Yilong, a Chinese working in a Chinese company in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, Congo (DRC), said that the local epidemic situation is severe and the company has fully implemented epidemic prevention measures. Sun Yilong said on the 24th that all employees must wash their hands, disinfect and wear masks before entering the factory. Security personnel will carry out temperature tests at the door. Those whose temperature exceeds 37 degrees Celsius are prohibited from entering. The company requires employees to minimize unnecessary going out. He said: "Employees are required to wear disposable gloves in daily cash register and handover of goods to minimize the risk of infection caused by physical contact. "Chen surnamed medical staff of a Chinese enterprise in Lomami province said that the local epidemic prevention publicity work is the main focus at this stage, and popular science posters for Ebola disease identification and epidemic prevention are posted in the areas where enterprise personnel gather. Chinese working in Uganda said that although there is no relevant epidemic prevention policy in the local area for the time being, it still makes people feel nervous. He said that some customers have warned not to go to the market, and he will do a good job of personal protection and stick to the daily killing work.

According to Reuters, although there have been many outbreaks in Congo (DRC), there are still residents in Ituri province who suspect that the Ebola virus is a fabricated rumor. On the 21st local time, the Ebola isolation point of a hospital near Bunia was attacked by people and set on fire. The cause of the conflict was that after a young patient in the hospital died, the hospital refused to let the family members take back the body in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The media revealed that the deceased was a well-known local football player, and his mother stubbornly believed that her son died of typhoid fever, not Ebola. Local staff said that there was also an attack on the hospital on the 20th. 18 people suspected of being infected with Ebola virus fled the hospital and their whereabouts are unknown. Tedros stressed that building trust in affected areas is crucial to the success of the fight against the epidemic, which is one of the most important tasks of the WHO. (The End)