More than 70 medics infected with Ebola as DRC outbreak spreads ‘fast’

Aid cuts and poor sanitation are deepening fears that Ebola is spreading through displacement camps.Seventeen medics have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the death toll surpasses 200 in an outbreak tearing through a health system already weakened by years of conflict, displacement and chronic underfunding.A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official confirmed the death toll on Friday and said that 75 healthcare workers had contracted the virus since Congolese authorities declared the outbreak on May 15 .Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Ebola patients recover in DRC amid claims of outbreak hoaxlist 2 of 3Why are experts warning latest Ebola outbreak could be ‘worst ever’?list 3 of 3Wissa header earns DR Congo first World Cup point in draw with Portugalend of list“The outbreak remains serious” and is “evolving so fast”, said WHO emergency director Marie Roseline Belizaire.“It is a really high price that the system, the healthcare system, is paying, because we don’t have enough of healthcare workers in DRC,” she told reporters by video link from the outbreak epicentre in eastern DRC.Health officials believe the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola had been spreading for months before the government formally announced the outbreak, leaving doctors, nurses and other medical staff exposed before they knew the virus was present.Even now, basic protective equipment remains in short supply, with some facilities struggling to secure gloves, masks and other essentials needed to limit infection.The DRC has one of the world’s lowest ratios of healthcare workers to population, with about 11 health workers for every 10,000 people, according to WHO data. Belizaire said China and Uganda were sending medical teams to support the response.She added that the WHO was providing psychological support to medics who feared treating patients after seeing colleagues fall sick.