Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for the establishment of a corridor of peace, protection of civilians, patients, health workers and health facilities, and for safe, sustained access to affected communities.
This follows a deadly attack on civilians in Cantine-Aloya, North Kivu, DRC, on Thursday, reportedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
In a statement, Africa CDC condemned the attack extending condolences to the families of those killed while expressing its solidarity with the injured, displaced and affected communities.
Africa CDC cautioned that the attack comes at a critical moment in the response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak noting that health facilities have been attacked and patients, including hundreds people with confirmed or suspected Ebola infection, have fled in search of safety raise serious public health concerns.
“In an Ebola outbreak, every interruption to patient care, contact tracing and disease surveillance creates additional risks for communities already facing extraordinary hardship,” said Africa CDC, adding that “People must be able to seek treatment safely, and health workers must be able to deliver essential services without fear of violence.”
The Agency called for all parties to respect the protection afforded to healthcare under international humanitarian law.
It reiterated its commitment to the people of DRC assuring that it will continue to work with national authorities and partners to support the Ebola response, strengthen disease surveillance and protect communities.
“The safety of communities and the continuity of life-saving health services must be safeguarded,” the Agency noted.
