BY PRUDENCE WANZA- A Congolese journalist who had been raising awareness about Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed.
The Journalist, Papy Mumbere Mahamba, worked at Radio Lwemba ,a community radio in DRC.
A report by BBC indicates that Mahamba had just hosted an Ebola awareness programme when the attack took place.
According to the army unidentified attackers raided Mahamba’s home in Lwemba, in the north-eastern province of Ituri, killing him, wounding his wife and burning their house down.
The report further indicates that National Co-ordinator of the fight against Ebola,Prof Steve Ahuka, confirmed the reports from the army that a “community worker” involved in the fight against Ebola had been killed.
A fellow journalist at the radio station also confirmed that Mahamba had been stabbed to death.
DRC declared Ebola epidemic in August 2018 and the world’s second worst Ebola epidemic. So far more than 2,000 lives have been lost amid a total of 3,000 confirmed infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In July this year the WHO said there was a public health emergency of international concern as the virus was becoming rapid.
It is reported that people working to stop the virus are often targeted as many people belief that the virus is not real leading to mistrust of those working in the health sector.Some feel Ebola is a hoax crated by medics to get well-paid jobs.
The outbreak is affecting the DRC’s North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces.
Ebola is a virus that initially causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat. It then progresses to vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding.
People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola.
Dehydration and multiple organ failure often lead to patient’s death.
