What in the World - How is Rwanda managing the Marburg virus outbreak?

Download How is Rwanda managing the Marburg virus outbreak?

In September, Rwanda detected its first ever outbreak of the highly infectious Marburg virus. Since then there have been more than forty confirmed cases and at least twelve people have died. Its health ministry has received 700 doses of an experimental drug supplied by the US-based Sabin Vaccine Institute, but we don’t yet know if it’ll be effective.

BBC’s Africa Health reporter Makuochi Okafor, explains how Rwanda is managing the outbreak and some of the challenges the country faces.

Across the border in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), another vaccination programme is underway for Mpox. Nearly 5,000 cases of Mpox have been detected in the DRC, but its vaccine rollout has been fraught with logistical challenges due to the country’s size. Emery Makumeno, a BBC journalist in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, discusses some of the hurdles officials face.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
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Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Wednesday, 9th October 2024.

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