MSF update on Ebola - Beni, DRC

This week MSF launched Ebola virus disease management activities in the Beni health zone, supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Health.

In Butsili and Kanzulinzuli health centers, MSF’s response focuses on triage, detection and isolation of suspected cases. Our teams, alongside those of the Ministry of Health, carry out outpatient consultations, for patients of all ages admitted to the isolation unit.

MSF’s team will ensure the rehabilitation and structural improvements in the two health centers, the supply of medicines and food (morning, noon and evening) for the patients admitted to the isolation center and their companions.

They will provide technical support for monitoring community activities in order to locate and identify contact cases in the community, but also social monitoring to all high-risk contacts through the distribution of "loyalty kits" (telephone, food) to encourage suspected cases to self-isolate, and to limit viral transmission in the population.

People at high risk, including contacts of confirmed cases and first responders, will be vaccinated to contain the spread of the virus.

Between 8 October, when the first positive case was detected, and 20 October 2021, three new cases were confirmed, including one death, in the Butsili health centre. A previous epidemic was officially over on May 3, 2021 in Butsili, with an assessment of five confirmed cases including three deaths, and 308 contacts followed in the area, according to data from health authorities.

The Beni health zone was one of the epicenters of the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located about 50 km from the town of Butembo, the scene of an epidemic between 7 February and 3 May 2021. MSF teams have been involved in all responses, particularly in the face of the severe epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri, which was declared over in 2020.