Red Cross medical team joins fight against Ebola outbreak
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- DR Congo
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- IFRC
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A Red Cross emergency medical team is now working as part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The team – made up of doctors, nurses, and water and sanitation experts from six National Red Cross Societies – will support five health facilities in the city of Mbandaka to prevent the spread of the disease, and to support people who have been infected.
As of 12 June, 55 suspected cases of Ebola had been confirmed in DRC, with 38 confirmed cases and 28 deaths. Five new suspected cases have been reported – four in Iboko and one in Wangata – in the past 48 hours.
IFRC and the DRC Red Cross are working as part of a larger coordinated response alongside government authorities, the World Health Organization, and other international and national partners.
Alongside the deployment of this expert team, Red Cross volunteers are working in four neighbouring provinces to raise awareness of the risks of Ebola. IFRC is also working with Red Cross societies from the nine countries neighbouring the DRC to activate readiness and preparedness mechanisms.