Enhanced security deployed around Ebola treatment sites in Ituri

Security measures have been significantly strengthened around Ebola treatment centers and health facilities in the Ituri province, encompassing both Bunia and other areas within the region. This heightened security aims to prevent incidents and ensure the safety of medical personnel and patients.

Key actions include the deployment of a mobile base by the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, in Mongwalu, a major hub of the epidemic. This deployment is intended to bolster the efforts of local security forces and provide enhanced protection for humanitarian workers, medical teams, and health infrastructure.

Police are now actively guarding treatment sites, a response to recent aggressions against Ebola response teams, particularly during a burial in Bunia a week prior. Even secure burials are now under reinforced protection to prevent similar occurrences.

Sources indicate that this increased presence is contributing to improved working conditions for response teams and facilitating patient care. Furthermore, there are reports of a gradual decrease in resistance and threats directed at these teams, attributed to ongoing community awareness campaigns aimed at combating misinformation surrounding the epidemic, which was declared on May 18 in Ituri.