Congolese President says Ebola should be eradicated by end of year

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has said the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo should be eradicated by the end of the year.

Tshisekedi said this during a visit to Berlin on Friday.

“We can say with satisfaction that it has been eradicated in northern and southern Kivu. There are still a few isolated cases in Ituri (province) but we think that by the end of the year we can completely stop the disease”, he said.

The Congolese President allayed fears of people returning from the Ebola epicentre.

“Let me end by saying that no one should be afraid of the people returning from the region, from Beni or from Goma, thinking that they might be carrying the disease. Simply put, there is a facility in Congo and in the region which means all individuals, no matter who they are, pass a rapid test the moment they cross a border. So there really is no risk to have any cases here”, Tshisekedi assured.

The German Chancellor promised a new chapter with the DR Congo.

“We want to be a partner to the Democratic Republic of Congo. We know how important that is, if you just take a look at the country and how many neighbours it has. With our available means we want to support the president’s efforts to take up contact again with the neighbours and to solve conflicts”, Merkel said.

According to government’s data, the rate of new Ebola cases has fallen substantially in recent weeks.

The epidemic in Congo was declared in August 2018. So far, it has killed nearly 2,200 people, becoming the second-worst outbreak of the virus on record.