The Red Cross has announced that three of its volunteers died from Ebola while working in March in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) stated that the victims were from the Ituri province, where the outbreak is centered. They contracted the virus during their work on dead body management activities.
The IFRC confirmed one volunteer died on May 5, while the other two succumbed to the disease on May 15 and 16 respectively. The organization expressed its deep sorrow over the loss of these volunteers who demonstrated exceptional courage and humanity in serving their communities.
The Ebola outbreak has been declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of Friday, there were 82 confirmed cases and seven deaths in the DR Congo, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The WHO raised its risk assessment for the country to the highest level due to the severity of the outbreak.
Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency room physician and public health professor at Brown University who survived Ebola after contracting it while working in Guinea, expressed concern about healthcare workers responding to the outbreak. He emphasized that these individuals are particularly vulnerable due to close contact with patients during their most contagious phase.