Canadian Red Cross deploys health resources to DRC Ebola crisis

Provision of critical supplies and humanitarian personnel backed by Government of Canada

The Canadian Red Cross has a leading role in the deployment of essential health supplies and personnel in response to the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with support from the Government of Canada.

The health resources strengthen the DRC Red Cross's ongoing life-saving efforts to assist communities in conducting safe and dignified burials, an essential measure to help prevent the further spread of Ebola. The shipment includes personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles, as well as body bags and training materials.

In addition, the Canadian Red Cross has deployed experienced humanitarian personnel with expertise in safe and dignified burials and community engagement to work closely with local Red Cross teams and communities in support of these efforts.

People who die of Ebola are most contagious in the final stage of illness and immediately after death. This makes burials conducted without infection-control measures a significant driver of transmission during outbreaks. The Red Cross works closely with communities to ensure burials are conducted safely, while respecting cultural and religious traditions.

Through dialogue and engagement with communities, families and community members can often safely participate in, or observe aspects of the burial process while appropriate infection prevention and control protocols are maintained.

To date, the Canadian Red Cross has deployed five humanitarian experts to the DRC to support the DRC Red Cross response in public health and operations. Additional humanitarian experts have been deployed to Kenya to support the regional response of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. These deployments are also being funded by the Government of Canada.

QUOTE:

“The Canadian Red Cross is well-positioned to respond to the current Ebola outbreak, drawing on our experience working in the DRC and in past global outbreaks. We understand that providing supplies and trained personnel to support safe and dignified burials is critical to help limit the spread of the disease. We are grateful to the Government of Canada for its support of the Canadian Red Cross emergency response, including this deployment of resources.”

– Conrad Sauvé, President and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross

 

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ABOUT THE CANADIAN RED CROSS

Here in Canada and overseas, the Red Cross stands ready to help people before, during and after a disaster. As a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – which is made up of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 191 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies – the Canadian Red Cross helps people in Canada and around the world prepare for, respond to and recover from disruptive events. 

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