In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the land has known war, neglect, and seventeen outbreaks of Ebola since 1976, Prof Pierre Akilimali leads a response to the country's deadliest outbreak yet — 2,715 lives lost, 5,656 confirmed cases — and insists that the numbers are the least important thing about it. What matters, he says, is the father behind the case, the family behind the father, and the trust that must be built before any of them will cross their fear to reach help. In a region where institutions have repeatedly failed people, the most urgent medical tool is not a va
DRC's Ebola chief: behind every statistic is a family, trust is the cure
The Ebola outbreak has killed 2,715 people with 5,656 confirmed cases; healthcare workers have been separated from families for extended periods; attacks on clinics and burial workers have occurred.