Bunia, Jun 5 (AP): The rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola that Congo is battling took locals by surprise after weeks of spreading unnoticed. Hundreds of cases were suspected when Congolese authorities announced the outbreak on May 15, but many dismissed the news as a “Western conspiracy.”
At least 63 people have died from 397 confirmed cases, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
Yet the outbreak has been challenged by scepticism, attacks on health workers and misinformation. Vérité Johnson, a journalist and editorial secretary at the Radio Télévision Mont Bleu station in Bunia, the capital city of the eastern Ituri province where the outbreak is concentrated, decided to produce a new program to combat rumors.
The radio show has emerged as a vital tool to win over some residents who have been unaware or sceptical about the facts of Bundibugyo.
WHO chief says misinformation almost as dangerous as the virus
The 45-minute program runs daily at 10 am, reminding people of the dangers of Ebola and regularly featuring health specialists who provide updates and answer questions.
The show’s jingles about the virus play intermittently throughout the day and residents are able to call in with questions.
“So far, there’s still a layer of resistance within the population, and that’s where the media plays an important role,” Johnson said. “Misinformation is almost as dangerous as the virus itself and spreads just as fast.
Earning and keeping the trust of communities is at the heart of everything we do,” World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday as WHO and the Africa CDC launched an Ebola response plan with partners.
Tedros said the new plan aims to raise USD 518 million to “stop the outbreak where it is, support countries that are responding today and ensure that neighbouring countries are ready to detect and act quickly if cases appear.”
Resistance to protocols during public health emergencies is common in Congo, which is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. There currently is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo type of Ebola, which has added another layer of fear.
Widespread rumors, often arising from fear and misinformation, discourage residents from adhering to health warnings or seeking medical help during an outbreak, health officials say.
