The World Health Organization's (WHO's) deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, Peter Salama, said the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is likely to continue for at least another six months, according to an article on the Centers for Infectious Disease Research and Policy website.
“This is the most complicated setting we've ever experienced in order to stop an Ebola outbreak," said Salama. "At a minimum, it will take six further months to stop."
The WHO now has 450 personnel working in DRC on the outbreak, with 100 of the workers added just in the last month.
Solama says the large number of children affected this time may be linked to informal health facilities that are not regulated. These facilities are known locally as "tradi-moderns," or traditional-modern health centers. They are private businesses, and employees do not need any medical licenses or certificates.