Schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are reopening as concerns grow over the spread of Ebola, with parents, teachers and education officials urging students to observe strict preventive measures.
According to African News, the start of the new academic year comes as the country continues to battle an Ebola outbreak that authorities have described as the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease ever. The death toll currently stands at 2,950.
Schools have introduced a range of measures aimed at limiting possible transmission of the virus, including handwashing stations, restrictions on physical contact and changes to how students interact during breaks.
Gerlance Mahamba Mumbere, a school manager, said, “the children (students) enter the classroom without shaking hands, the children avoid eating together, and neither the children nor the teachers touch each other. We have placed hand-washing stations in every corner of the classrooms, and there is no (walking around) during recess.”
Parents have also been warning their children to remain vigilant and follow health and safety guidelines both at school and at home.
Noëlla Mite Apesilam says, “in the morning, before they leave the house, I tell them not to shake hands at school, not to kiss each other, and to follow the safety guidelines. Here at home, it’s mostly about handwashing, and I make them lemon water to drink throughout the day.”
The Ebola response team has urged schools and communities to take the preventive measures seriously, particularly because of the large number of students gathered in individual schools.
Michel Méta Wani, Civil society leader in Ituri and partner of Ebola Response Team explains, “we have schools with two hundred, three hundred, and even five hundred students each. And if we don’t follow these measures (protective barriers), we may come to regret it, and that would be difficult for our children. But we hope that, as community leaders, we cannot accept the possibility that our children might die. We are going to support these measures right now.”
UNICEF is also supporting authorities in efforts to prevent transmission of Ebola in schools. African News mentioned that the lack of an approved vaccine or treatment has complicated efforts to contain the outbreak.
