Attachments
Highlights
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On 08 December, UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa was in Beni where she visited an Ebola Treatment Center and met with UNICEF staff and response teams, youth groups actively involved in the response, and EVD-affected families. The Regional Director also participated in the strategic Ebola response coordination meeting.
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After being hit by Ebola cases in August and in September, Ituri province has again reported confirmed cases in early December.
Komanda health zone, with one previously recorded case from October, signaled seven new cases in four different villages in three health areas. UNICEF is rapidly deploying multi-sectoral teams and assets to the area. -
The World Bank Group approved additional funding of almost USD 13 million for UNICEF, covering the previously reported funding gap.
However, as the epidemic enters its fifth month and the Joint Response Plan is being reviewed, the necessity for additional funds is being anticipated.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
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500 total reported cases (MoH, 10 December 2018)
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452 confirmed cases (MoH, 10 December 2018)
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240 deaths recorded (MoH, 10 December 2018)
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6,321 contacts under surveillance
Humanitarian leadership and coordination
The Crisis Management Team continued to meet daily under the leadership of the Ministry of Health with all concerned partners and with the chairs of the different working groups providing thematic updates. UNICEF continues to participate actively in the coordination meetings at the national level and in Beni (operational headquarters) and co-leads the commissions on communication, WASH and psychosocial care. UNICEF is also active in the working groups on logistics and vaccination. A UNICEF security specialist is also deployed in the field to support security assessment and safety of the operations.
Beni, Butembo, and Katwa health zones are the most concerning areas for the response due to the high number of reported confirmed and probable cases. At the moment, UNICEF activities in risk communication and prevention, WASH, and psychosocial care are focused around five coordination hubs based in Beni, Butembo, Tchomia, and Mabalako health zones. One sub-coordination hub is operational in Bunia city.
The coordination of UNICEF’s response is dynamic due to the identification of confirmed cases and the geographical extension of the epidemic to newly affected health zones. UNICEF coordinates Musienene, Katwa, Masereka, Vuhovi, Kalanguta, and Kyondo’s response from the sub-coordination group based in Butembo health zone, and efforts are underway for a second coordination team to be based in Butembo. Efforts are also ongoing to put in place a coordination team to respond to new cases in Komanda.