TO: All media covering the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and global health emergencies.
FROM: Corus International — A global humanitarian and development organization working to improve lives and strengthen communities around the world. Corus has worked in the DRC for more than 25 years, supporting health services and responding to public health emergencies. Learn more at corus.org.
WHAT: Six months after the official declaration of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, nearly 11,000 cases have been reported, making this the largest Ebola outbreak in DRC’s history and the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. With no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain, containment depends on rapid detection, infection prevention and coordinated action across communities and health facilities.
Through a $27 million U.S. Department of State-funded program, Corus is working with health authorities in the DRC, South Sudan and Burundi to contain the outbreak and protect communities. To date, Corus has trained more than 3,200 frontline workers in Ebola surveillance, infection prevention and control, and risk communication and community engagement. Corus assessed more than 400 health facilities to identify gaps and strengthen preparedness. The response also provides active containment support across nine states and provinces, including 49 health zones in the DRC alone.
EXPERT AVAILABILITY: Dr. Bill Clemmer, senior advisor for Ebola and public health at Corus International, is currently based in the DRC and is available for interviews. A physician with more than 30 years of global health and humanitarian experience, Bill has now led responses to four Ebola outbreaks. He can speak to the unprecedented scale and challenges of the current outbreak, why the absence of a vaccine and treatment makes containment particularly difficult, and what it takes to protect frontline health workers and keep essential health services operating.
MULTIMEDIA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfhmr9dOcvs
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