Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo's Equateur Province is Over

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - The World Health Organization has officially declared an end
   to the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo's Equateur
   Province, nearly six months after the first cases were reported.

   Health officials are hailing the end of this outbreak as a milestone
   and cause for celebration. Combating Ebola in the remote, heavily
   forested region posed numerous logistical challenges, not least of
   which was reaching communities scattered across this geographically
   vast area and then gaining their trust.

   Bob Ghosn is head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
   Crescent Societies Ebola Response Operation in the DRC Speaking on a
   telephone line from Goma, he tells VOA tackling Ebola in itself is
   difficult enough. But tackling two epidemics, Ebola and COVID-19, at
   the same time has proven to be a nightmare.

   "It also made the supply chain for Ebola response much more difficult
   because everything slowed down, borders have closed," Ghosn said.
   "There obviously were requests from all countries in the world for PPE
   equipment that was needed here. So, that made things more difficult and
   last, but not least, the economic impact of COVID-19 is mind boggling
   in a country like DRC."

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