The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | WHO , UNITED NATIONS
UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing Ebola Outbreaks WHO 12 February 2021
Close to 300 Ebola contacts identified in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 109 more in Guinea – WHO
Following the latest resurgence of Ebola in West Africa since Guinea's outbreak in 2013-2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) today provided further details on the spread and tracking of the disease so far, both in Guinea and in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
« We know now there are seven cases, three confirmed, four probable, in Guinea, and three of those have died. We have identified 115 contacts and the majority of those have been traced. That’s a 109. The contacts are in N’Zerekore but also in Conakry,” said Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the WHO.
In a parallel development in the eastern DRC, more than 4'000 km away from Guinea, Dr. Harris said, “we also have an outbreak going on in North Kivu. There is no connection between the two. We have not seen any evidence of any connection. But they are going on at the same time”.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reported a resurgence of the Ebola virus on the 7th of February, a week before the Guinea outbreak.
According to Dr. Harris the previous experience the health teams have in curbing the Ebola outbreaks in the two countries will be potentially be of great help to them, as contacts can be traced quickly to prevent further infection.
“What is critical is decentralising the operations to the lowest levels, making sure your operations are with the community and that the community owns the operations – that your work is community centered and that you work with the community,” Dr. Harris said.
The WHO’s spokesperson stressed that “a one size fits all approach to community engagement isn’t effective. Every community is unique, and engagement has to really, really, be hyper-contextualized with the affected communities. That’s the lesson we learn each time, and each time we improve on that and need to improve on that”.
According to WHO, once an Ebola outbreak has taken place, it is likely that it will reoccur in the same area -- as seen in several outbreaks. Whether this is because Ebola persists in human beings or whether the disease is simply moving again from animal populations to humans in those areas, is still unknown. Ongoing genetic sequencing may provide this information, WHO experts say.
WHO has alerted six countries to watch out for potential Ebola cases after the recent Ebola outbreaks in Guinea and Democratic Republic of Congo. With the epicentre of the current outbreak in a border area, WHO is already working with health authorities in Liberia and Sierra Leone to scale up community surveillance of cases in their border districts as well as strengthening their capacity to test for cases and conduct surveillance in health facilities. WHO is reaching out to Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal and other countries at risk in the West Africa sub-region.
Regarding the health response in North Kivu, DRC, Ms Harris said that “insecurity adds a much higher level of complexity and certainly makes it much more difficult to do the work that’s already difficult because you are in a geographically difficult location as well”.
WHO is also supporting the country to procure the Ebola vaccine which has proven instrumental in controlling outbreaks in the DRC.
“Normally the vaccination is done around reported cases and all sort of frontline workers. But again these are decisions that the local authorities make in terms of what their community needs, and also of course what is feasible”, WHO’s Margaret Harris said.
Guinea was one of the three most-affected countries in the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak which was the largest since the virus was first discovered in 1976.
During the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014 there were 28 000 cases, including 11 000 deaths. The outbreak started in Guinea and then moved across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.
- Exterior wide shot, Place des Nations with Palais des Nations
- Wide shot, press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Margaret Harris, Spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “We know now there is 7 cases, 3 confirmed, 4 probable in Guinea, and 3 of those have died. We have identified 115 contacts and the majority of those have been traced. That’s a 109. The contacts are in Nzerekore but also in Conakry”.
- Medium shot, podium with spokesperson and screen
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Margaret Harris, Spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “We also have an outbreak going on in North Kivu, there is no connection between the two. We have not seen any evidence of any connection. But they are going on at the same time”.
- Medium shot, journalists in press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Margaret Harris, Spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “What is critical is decentralising the operations to the lowest levels, making sure your operations are with the community and that the community owns the operations – that your work is community centered and that you work with the community. A one size fits all approach to community engagement isn’t effective. Every community is unique, and engagement has to really really be hyper contextualized with the affected communities. That’s the lesson we learn each time and each time we improve on that and need to improve on that”.
- Wide shot, journalist in press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Margaret Harris, Spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “Insecurity adds a much higher level of complexity and certainly makes it much more difficult to do the work that’s already difficult because you are in a geographically difficult location as well”.
- Medium shot, monitor next to podium in press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Margaret Harris, Spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “Normally the vaccination is done around reported cases and all sort of frontline workers. But again these are decisions that the local authorities make in terms of what their community needs, and also of course what is feasible”.
- Wide shot, spokesperson at podium
- Close up, writing on paper
- Medium shot, journalists in press briefing room
- Wide shot, journalist in press briefing room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable. For a third day running, people were killed around an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This morning, we have received information that dozens more people were killed and injured,” Jeremy Laurence UN Human Rights spokesperson said at the biweekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Gaza ‘hungriest place on earth’ with aid stymied – UN humanitarians
Starving Gazans continue to be deprived of aid as international relief efforts are being severely constrained by the Israeli authorities, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNRWA
As a controversial United States and Israel-backed aid distribution plan gets underway in Gaza, the UN called on Tuesday for an “immediate surge” of its own pre-positioned supplies to help prevent starvation.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis - UN humanitarians
Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO
UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount
Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday, But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.
1
1
1
Edited News
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OCHA
Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege
Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas and pleaded for the blockade to end.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Over 50 child malnutrition deaths amid aid blockade; entire generation will be ‘permanently affected’ - WHO
In the aid desert of Gaza, malnourished children are dying while survivors can expect a lifetime of dire health problems, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.