The clarification comes from the provincial minister in charge of public health for the city-province of Kinshasa. In a statement published on July 26, 2019, Bernadette Mpanzu Mbuku, provides a firm and categorical denial following the unfounded information circulating on social networks, reporting the presence of Ebola virus disease in the Congolese capital.
At the same time, she invited the people of Kinshasa not to give in to speculation and to freely go about their business. For, according to her, « the Ngobila Government reassures that increased and permanent control is being carried out at all the city’s borders (N’djili international airport, Ndolo airfield and various ports) to » secure the population from Kinshasa.
The provincial ministry of public health also recalls that it is « the only institution authorized to declare the presence of any epidemic » in the Congolese capital.
The same denial is also made this time by the secretary general of the Red Cross of the DRC. Also via a statement released Friday, July 26, 2019, Ms. Makusu Maita denies the information contained in a video with a pseudo agent of the Red Cross announcing the presence of a suspected case in the town of Lingwala.
« It’s been a few days since we watched with bitterness as it circulates through social networks a video in which a pseudo volunteer from the DRC Red Cross announces to the public the presence of the Ebola virus disease in the city-province of Kinshasa, in general and in the commune of Lingwala in particular. The Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Congo formally denies this news and informs all the Chinese population that this video is a montage of bad taste, mounted with the sole and only intention to plunge the peaceful Kinois in panic » , can we read in this release.
For his part, Dr. Justin Masumu, Director of Studies of the Interdisciplinary Center for Health Risk Management (CIGRS) increases by attracting the attention of journalists in the choice of processing information circulating on social networks.
« We are circulating a film of a Red Cross agent on Ebola. The red cross can never make such a joke. The information of an epidemic to the population is always done by the authority of tutelage never by a partner. And a message from the provincial ministry of health is also circulating through WhatsApp, « he said.
And he encourages the media to use the networks to stop this bad joke that can be very detrimental to our city.
While Ebola is not in Kinshasa but the population is called to vigilance and denounce any suspicious case. Better still, prevent this disease by washing your hands with clean water and soap or ashes before eating, after using the toilet and returning home.
Nadine FULA