Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 9, 2019 / 13:59 pm
The Ebola outbreak that began last August in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now claimed more than 1,000 lives, the nation's health ministry has confirmed.
Efforts to contain the disease have been hampered by misinformation and distrust on the part of local communities, who in some cases have retaliated against health teams by attacking them.
Dr. Michael Ryan, deputy director of the World Health Organization, said there have been more than 100 attacks on medical centers and staff this year, the BBC reported. This has limited many of the health services that non-governmental organizations are able to provide.
More than 100,000 people have received the Ebola vaccine, according to the Associated Press, but many more are fearful of it and refuse to receive it. In addition, violence in the eastern part of DRC has made it difficult to reach some areas of the country, and difficult to monitor the virus as it spreads. This has led to fears that Ebola may reach neighboring countries in the east, including Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.