ReliefWeb

Highlights

• On 15 October, to celebrate the Global Hand Washing Day, UNICEF Education and WASH teams and partners organized raising awareness activities on the correct handwashing habits to prevent the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Activities reached over 20,000 students in the health zones of Butembo, Katwa, Beni, Mangina and Oicha.

• On 20 October, a first EVD confirmed case was reported in Epulu health area (Mambasa health zone), not far from Kisangani, the main city of the Tchopo province (not affected by Ebola). Thus, UNICEF is reinforcing preparedness activities consequently.

• In Biakato Mines (Mandima health zone), a hotspot mining area where the EVD response teams face resistance, Risk Communication and Community Engagement activities conducted by UNICEF and its partners are being strengthened, especially those with community radio stations, youth and women associations to facilitate the response acceptance by local communities.

• Under Pillar 3 interventions, the UNICEF Education team successfully advocated for the reintegration in schools of out-of-school children in Kalunguta health zone. As a result, four catch-up classes are already functioning hosting more than 97 former out-of-school children. In addition, UNICEF distributed recreational kits in 107 primary schools, for more than 32,100 students.

Key epidemic numbers
3,147 confirmed cases (WHO, 27 October 2019)
883 children <18 among confirmed cases (WHO, 27 October 2019)
2,064 deaths among confirmed cases (WHO, 27 October 2019)
Ebola Response Appeal (Pillars I and III)
US$ 125.6 million

Key figures
35 implementing partners, including 14 national actors
2 775 community workers and mobilizers 113 community radio partners
1 082 psychosocial agents, including caregivers, in UNICEF-run nurseries
90 IPC/WASH supervisors and 433 hygienists for decontaminations

Epidemiological overview
With an additional 41 new confirmed cases in the last two weeks, a total of 3,264 EVD cases were reported as of 27 October, among which 3,147 confirmed and 117 probable cases. More than two thirds (2,181) of EVD cases died (global case fatality rate remains 67 per cent).
Of the total confirmed and probable cases, 56 per cent (1,838) were female and 28 per cent (926) were children aged less than 18 years.