A 6-month-old girl who died from Ebola earlier this week was buried in Bunia, eastern Congo, as authorities struggle to contain the latest outbreak. She was the third child to die at an orphanage in the region.
Burial and Mourning
Mourners gathered at Mbiyo cemetery on Friday as health workers in protective gear lowered the small coffin into the ground. A Catholic priest prayed over her body. “It’s a feeling of sadness because we have lost one of our own, a daughter of the church,” said Father Innocent Ndogo. “As we have always said, the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.”
Outbreak Statistics
Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba reported 933 confirmed cases and 245 deaths from the current outbreak during a visit to Bunia. Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are 35,000 suspected potential contacts. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province, which accounts for more than 90 percent of cases.
Strain and Response Complications
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved treatment or vaccine. This lack of testing contributed to its spread. The more common Zaire virus, for which a vaccine exists, caused most of Congo’s past outbreaks. The response has been complicated by residents clashing with health care professionals over disrupted burials and militarized measures. Some health workers lack masks, gloves, and other protective gear.
Regional Spread
Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread to Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases and two deaths have been reported. Kamba announced that all health centers in Ituri will be free and health care workers’ bonuses will be doubled.
Call to Action
Alex Lock, a communications officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, urged people not to feel indifferent. “She was a baby. She had her whole life ahead of her. Unfortunately, she was taken by the disease, a disease that, as you know, is transmitted from one person to another,” Lock said.
