China on Monday said it will dispatch emergency medical assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to fight an Ebola outbreak.
The “Chinese government has decided to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the DRC and, in particular, send medical expert teams for medical services and assistance,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.
“We feel for the DRC over the latest outbreak of Ebola,” said Lin, adding that China was providing assistance to the African Union Commission against Ebola as well as to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least 134 confirmed cases have been reported in the current outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, according to an update released Friday by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Deaths from Ebola stand at 18 among confirmed cases in the two countries.
‘Chinese team on the ground’
Congolese health authorities indicate that new suspected cases continue to be registered, with a cumulative total of more than 1,000 recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is concentrated in three eastern Congolese provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.
“As we speak, Chinese medical teams are on ground fighting the disease shoulder-to-shoulder with African people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin said, adding that more than 45 medical teams from China had visited African nations in the recent past.
Separately, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries that have imposed travel restrictions and closed their borders following the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda to reconsider the measures.
Canada and the US have imposed travel restrictions and visa suspensions for residents of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan, citing the outbreak.
Rwanda and Uganda have limited travel from the DRC despite sharing borders with the country.
