CDC remainscommitted one year into the fight against ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo : press release

Embargoed Until: Thursday, August 1, 2019, 2:00 p.m. ETOn August 1, 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Ebola. One year later, the outbreak continues in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, areas where there are outbreaks of violence, armed conflict, and other unprecedented problems that complicate public health response activities and increase the risk of disease spread both within DRC and to neighboring countries. As of July 31, a total of 2,713 cases, including 148 in healthcare workers, and 1,813 deaths have been reported.On June 13, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) activated its Emergency Operations Center to support the US government response to the outbreak. CDC subject matter experts are working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partners, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) on the ground in the DRC, and the American Embassy in Kinshasa to support the Congolese and international response. CDC has sent more than 200 experts in epidemiology, case management, infection prevention and control, laboratory science, border health measures, risk communication, community engagement, information technology, emergency management, and logistics to DRC, countries bordering the outbreak area, and WHO headquarters. A total of 294 more CDC staff have supported the response from the agency\u2019s Atlanta headquarters and CDC country offices in DRC and neighboring countries.One year into the fight against Ebola, CDC and the U.S. government remain committed to working with and empowering the ministries of health of DRC and neighboring countries, in collaboration with other international partners, to ensure the outbreak response is well coordinated to stop the spread of disease and end the outbreak. CDC is committed to strengthening the healthcare system in DRC to help reduce the risk of future outbreaks, not only of Ebola, but of other diseases such as HIV, measles, tuberculosis, and malaria. CDC\u2019s commitment to global health goes hand in hand with CDC\u2019s commitment to the safety and security of the American public.For more information about the current outbreak in DRC: https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/drc/2018-august.html2019655