Ebola: Motorbike riders carrying the sick may hold key to response boost

From the frontlines of the deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN World Health Organization (WHO) shared details on Tuesday of a massive push for community engagement, a day after yet another ambulance attack.Key pointsAmbulance attack highlights dangers facing respondersMotorbike riders are key to tracking infectionsSurveillance and treatment capacity reinforced“Almost on a daily basis we face some kind of reaction from the communities,” said Dr Thierno Baldé, WHO Incident Manager for the Bundibugyo virus disease in the DRC. “These are difficult situations. People are having their relatives who are sick, who are dying.”Speaking via video from the outbreak’s epicentre in Bunia, the medic told reporters in Geneva that on Monday, one of the ambulances used in the response was attacked. It was not an isolated incident.According to local authorities on Monday, the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak has killed 2,325 people, surpassing the 2,299 deaths recorded in the DRC’s 2018-2020 outbreak, previously the most lethal. The fatality rate has risen to 46 per cent, according to Government data. Dr Baldé said that the milestone of 5,000 confirmed cases has b...