00:01We are seeing a rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak, and this is deeply concerning for us, as I
00:10foresee.
00:13Our focus right now is on saving lives and supporting all the communities that are at
00:19risk.
00:19We have been told, and officially so, that there are probably over 500 suspected cases,
00:28and this is more than double, if not triple, the numbers that we mentioned when this epidemic
00:38was actually announced as an outbreak.
00:41And we are also told that it's around 130 persons that have died from suspected, I mean,
00:53Ebola symptoms.
00:55So these are figures that we are dealing with, and I think in the few days to come when
01:02surveillance is reinforced, and of course, when reporting improved, we are going to be
01:07seeing a lot higher figures than this.
01:11Look, the epicenter Ituri, which is one of the provinces in DRC, on the eastern part of
01:24this country, is a province that is at times having security situations in terms of elements
01:34that come into the communities to disturb them, and the communities will have to migrate and
01:44move to safer places.
01:45And moving to safer places means being accommodated in other people's homes, and that on its own
01:51is a big risk.
01:53The fact is, this outbreak is not the usual one that we have been dealing with in DRC.
02:03It has no vaccine, and there is no treatment.
02:07So that being the case, I mean, certain behaviours have to change.
02:14For instance, those that are caregivers have to be protected all the time, and our rate
02:24cost volunteers are actually equipped with a safe burial equipment that they use to make
02:35sure that once there is these suspected deaths, they are able to perform this kind of burial.
02:44And there are many SOPs that are actually attached to this.
02:48And this is defined by the Ministry of Health, and it's within what the government is expecting
02:57all communities to observe.
03:02This is not the first time DRC is experiencing this, so there is quite a lot of experience
03:08from all actors, including our Red Cross volunteers.
03:13But what is important is to make sure that our volunteers continue to play a critical role
03:20in ensuring that they reach all the communities with life-saving information.
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