Tanzania Sends 52 Tonnes of Medical Supplies to DR Congo for Ebola Response
Tanzania has delivered 52 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies worth 220 million Tanzanian shillings — about $88,000 — to the Democratic Republic of Congo to support efforts to contain its worsening Ebola outbreak.
The supplies, handed over in Kinshasa on Saturday, include medicines, protective equipment for healthcare workers, medical equipment and other essential health commodities. Tanzania says the assistance is intended to strengthen patient care, protect frontline workers and help break chains of transmission.
Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, Florence George Samizi, said the donation fulfils a commitment made at regional and international health meetings, including a June 16 virtual meeting of African leaders on the Ebola response.
The DRC’s Health Ministry welcomed the assistance, saying it arrived at a critical time as authorities struggle to contain the outbreak, which has spread across several provinces.
The outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has become the country’s deadliest on record. By early September, the DRC had recorded more than 6,300 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths, according to the latest reports.
The response has been complicated by insecurity, population movement, weak surveillance and difficulties tracing contacts. Health officials are also using anonymised mobile-phone data to identify population movements and areas at risk of further transmission.
Tanzania says its support reflects the need for regional cooperation against health emergencies that cross national borders, as neighbouring countries seek to prevent the outbreak from spreading further across East and Central Africa.
