Ebola: 31 pupils dead in at least 44 schools in North Kivu, DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Mediacongo
At least 44 schools in North Kivu have been affected by Ebola, with around 50 children testing positive, of whom 31 have died and 10 have recovered, according to Moctar Hann, head of the UNICEF office in the province. About 600 of nearly 2,500 schools in the affected area have received prevention kits, according to Norbert Bisimwa, head of the North Kivu II education province.
At least 44 schools in North Kivu, in eastern DR Congo, have been affected by the Ebola epidemic, according to Moctar Hann, head of the UNICEF office in the province. Around 50 children have tested positive, of whom 31 have died and 10 have recovered. The figures were given on Tuesday 10 November at a press briefing at the governorate in Beni.
The UNICEF official stressed the risks of the virus spreading within school communities. In the North Kivu II education province, about 600 schools have received infection prevention and control kits, out of nearly 2,500 establishments located in affected areas, according to its head, Norbert Bisimwa. He acknowledges that needs remain considerable.
Some parents are worried and are calling for classes to be suspended until the epidemic is brought under control. School authorities believe that schools offer pupils a protective environment.
These figures come amid an epidemic that has caused 10,351 cases and 5,026 deaths since May, according to the toll published on 1 November. The Beni treatment centre, for its part, recorded a record 13 patients recovered on 10 November.
