UK deploys more public health experts to DRC for Ebola virus outbreak response
06 August 2019
Article: 53/3103
The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) is deploying more public health specialists to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the country’s Ebola virus outbreak reaches the one-year mark.
Those being sent to support the DRC government’s existing efforts include a data scientist, an epidemiologist (an expert in tracking outbreaks) and an infection and prevention control expert, who will work with local scientists. The deployment is at the request of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), following the recent decision to declare the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The UK-PHRST has worked closely with the DRC government, the WHO and other partners to scale up its response since August 2018, when the current outbreak started. Since that time, there have also been confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda.
The WHO has also released a statement on the first anniversary of the Ebola virus outbreak, calling for continued solidarity and help from the international community to tackle the outbreak.
Information and guidance on viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) can be accessed on the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) website. Additionally, information on VHF can be found on the TRAVAX (for health professionals) and fitfortravel (for the general public) websites.
A recent update on the Ebola virus outbreak for health professionals can be found on the TRAVAX website.