Health workers and local residents danced and sang outside an Ebola treatment centre in Mongbwalu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, to celebrate the discharge of its last remaining patients. In footage published by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on 28 October, staff and members of the community gather outside the facility, moving to the rhythm of the celebrations.
According to the medical charity, it is the first time since May that the centre has had no confirmed Ebola patients under treatment. The joyful scenes mark a welcome moment for healthcare workers and residents in a region that has been grappling with the deadly virus for months.
The celebrations come despite the continuing Ebola epidemic in the region. On 27 October, Congolese health authorities reported that Africa’s latest outbreak had surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases, the vast majority recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause life-threatening illness and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people. Although the discharge of the final patients represents an important milestone for the MSF facility in Mongbwalu, it does not mean the outbreak has ended or that new cases cannot emerge. The charity’s announcement concerns patients being treated at this particular centre, rather than the wider situation across Ituri province or the country.