News Alert: DRC Now Fighting Health Enemies on Two Fronts

With new Ebola cases emerging in the Democratic Republic of Congo just days before the largest ever epidemic in the country was to be declared over, the DRC is now fighting health enemies on two fronts.

Whitney Elmer, Mercy Corps Country Director for DRC, says:

"After 20 months spent fighting Ebola, we are still not done. And now with a rising number of COVID-19 cases, the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing health enemies on two fronts. 

"At 10%, DRC already has one of the highest mortality rates for COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa. While not as deadly as Ebola, COVID-19 is far more contagious. 

"In a country where violence and displacement has caused city populations to swell, the potential impact of COVID-19 on densely packed communities with infrequent water supply and insufficient healthcare is frightening.

"Like with Ebola, community engagement will be central to any COVID-19 prevention efforts. Community structures must continue to be supported and trained so they gain ownership of the health responses, and become the main actors protecting their communities."

Mercy Corps is continuing our Ebola activities and integrating prevention information about COVID-19 into all programmes. We are also training 2,000 community action groups in Beni, Butembo and Goma on prevention, risk mitigation and surveillance.