Justin Welby visits DRC Ebola zone

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC an international emergency in July after it surfaced in August 2018.

There have been 2,169 deaths so far, including 2,053 people who died from confirmed cases of Ebola. The other deaths are considered probable cases. Just over a thousand people sickened with the virus have recovered, according to Congolese health officials.

Flying with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), the world’s largest humanitarian airline, Most Rev Justin Welby took the co-pilot seat in a Cessna Caravan 208 aircraft to reach an Ebola-effected cities in east Democratic Republic of Congo on 23 October.

Archbishop Justin took an aerial view of two Ebola-effected hot zones before landing in Beni and Butembo where the virus is being contained by an army of health workers and humanitarian NGOs.

Following strict WHO anti-contamination procedures, Archbishop Justin toured hospitals which have been transformed into Ebola treatment facilities. The sites are a hub of medical activity with quarantine units, screening centres, and blood-testing tents set up to combat the disease.

The archbishop sensing some nerves before take-off from fellow passengers, said: “You have nothing to worry about. MAF fly in the most difficult places in the world, landing at the most difficult runways…