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UNICEF DR Congo Ebola Situation Report #45 North Kivu, Ituri and South Kivu - Reporting Period: 30 September to 13 October 2019

Countries
DR Congo
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

Highlights

• In Mambasa, UNICEF engaged in a successful negotiation that led to the reduction of community resistance and gaining access to two informal mining areas where a number of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) contacts were suspected to circulate. Communication teams worked with local community to promote acceptance of the overall EVD response and recommendations were made on potential pillar 3 interventions.

• In Butembo health zone, UNICEF and its implementing partner, Enseignement Primaire, Secondaire et Technique (EPST), trained 28 inspectors on the Guidance Notes and Ebola prevention. In turn, inspectors trained more than 3,000 teachers, school directors and members of parents’ committees, in 352 schools in eight EVD-affected health zones. These teachers subsequently sensitized more than 60,000 students.

• In Lwemba hotspot, a new office was opened in Biakato following the security incident with the community. UNICEF worked with local communities’ leaders in Lwemba to reestablish humanitarian access and identify community priority needs and lay the ground for reconciliation and social cohesion. An initial six wells were refurbished, and plans were agreed with the community for the construction of latrines for five priority schools.

• A total of 750,478 children were vaccinated against polio (91 per cent coverage) in 17 health zones affected by EVD in North Kivu as a result of the oral polio vaccination (OPV) campaign conducted by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH). The OPV campaign was combined with Vitamin A supplementation for children aged 6 to 59 months and deworming for children from 12 to 59 months.

Key epidemic numbers

3,106 confirmed cases (WHO, 13 October 2019)
876 children <18 among confirmed cases (WHO, 13 October 2019)
2,036 deaths among confirmed cases (WHO, 13 October 2019)

Key figures

35 implementing partners, including 14 national actors
2 775 community workers and mobilizers
113 community radio partners
1 082 psychosocial agents, including caregivers, in UNICEF-run nurseries
90 IPC/WASH supervisors and 433 hygienists for decontaminations

Epidemiological overview

With an additional 29 new confirmed cases reported in the last two weeks, a total of 3,220 EVD confirmed cases were reported as of 13 October, among which 3,106 confirmed and 114 probable cases. More than two thirds (2,150) of EVD cases died (global case fatality rate remains 67 per cent). Of the total confirmed and probable cases, 56 per cent (1,806) were female and 28 per cent (915) were children aged less than 18 years.