DRC: Ebola fears grow as children return to school

What the report says

Parents and teachers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expressing concern as children return to school while the country faces its largest Ebola outbreak on record, according to Al Jazeera. The story focuses on Ituri province, the hardest-hit area, where families in Bunia and elsewhere are worried that crowded classrooms could increase transmission.

Government figures cited by Al Jazeera put the outbreak at 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths as of August 31. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which the article says there is no approved vaccine or treatment specifically tailored to that virus. The World Health Organization is supporting a clinical trial of a vaccine now used against a different Ebola strain.

Rather than close all schools nationwide, officials are applying different measures based on risk. In the highest-risk areas, children are to learn from home using printed worksheets and radio lessons. The education ministry has also divided affected areas into green, orange and red zones, with red designated for the highest-risk localities. Teachers in Ituri say more basic protections are still needed in schools, including handwashing facilities and other screening measures.

Al Jazeera also notes that some public health officials see the reopening as a chance to spread prevention messages through children and their families. The wider significance is that Congo is trying to balance education continuity with outbreak control while cases remain concentrated in the east.