African Pastor Seeks Prayers Over Ebola Outbreak
A pastor in the Democratic Republic of Congo is asking for prayers as the Ebola outbreak continues to spread in his nation. “Pray for us in order that God can stop the spread of the disease among the people, stop the people dying, because so far we’ve lost many people,” the Rev. Bisoke Balikenga told CBN News on Monday.
His ministry, Hearts for the Congo, shares the love of Christ with orphans, refugees and the poor in one of the most war-torn areas of the world. Now the Ebola outbreak is making life in his town, Bunia, even more difficult. “The health center has been destroyed by the young people,” he said. “The people like to get their dead body.”
Dr Tyler B. Evans, an infectious disease physician who worked served during two major Ebola outbreaks, said the disease is spread through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids such as blood and saliva. “The highest risk of spread is within the first 48 hours after death,” he said, “So managing cadavers is very important.”
Health centers have been attacked because workers refused to hand over the bodies of Ebola victims to their families.
“They’re angry, because they want to bury,” Balikenga said. “In Africa, the burial is something to take it seriously. They like to honor their loved ones by being at the burial. But now when someone passes away from Ebola, no family can have access to it. It’s only the health people who can bury the dead body.”
Evans said this particular strain of Ebola appears to resist most vaccines and treatments. The Trump administration said it is expanding the Ebola screening program in the United States.
“We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “And so the State Department and other agencies are working very hard to contain this crisis to the countries where it’s currently located.”
A growing concern is that three weeks from now, soccer fans from across the globe will descend on Kansas City and other cities for the FIFA World Cup.
–Alan Goforth
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