DR Congo: MSF marks discharge of last Ebola patients at Ituri treatment centre
The last patients have been discharged from a Médecins Sans Frontières Ebola treatment centre in Mongbwalu, in DR Congo's Ituri province. It is the first time since May that the centre has had no confirmed Ebola patients.
Health workers and residents sang and danced outside an Ebola treatment centre in Mongbwalu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province, to mark the discharge of its remaining patients. The international medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) published footage on 28 October showing staff and community members gathering outside the facility. According to the organisation, this is the first time since May that the centre has had no confirmed Ebola patients in treatment.
The region has endured difficult months, having struggled with the deadly virus for a prolonged period. Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause life-threatening illness and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people.
The epidemic continues
The celebrations come even though the epidemic in the area is not over. On 27 October, Congolese health authorities reported that the latest outbreak in Africa had passed 10,000 confirmed cases, with the great majority recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
What the announcement means
The discharge of the final patients is an important milestone for the MSF facility in Mongbwalu. However, it does not mean the outbreak has ended or that new cases cannot appear. The charity's announcement concerns only patients at this particular centre, not the wider situation in Ituri province or across the country.
