Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) expands response to Ebola disease with new treatment centres as outbreak spreads across provinces

In northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) , Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is expanding our response to the Ebola disease outbreak , as it spreads from the remote town of Nia Nia, in Ituri province, to Kisangani, the busy capital of neighbouring Tshopo province. In Kisangani, MSF has been running the Ebola treatment centre (ETC) at Hôpital du Cinquantenaire, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, since the end of June. In the first week of September, patients were transferred to a new 22-bed ETC, built and run by MSF, increasing treatment capacity in Kisangani. In Nia Nia, MSF teams started working alongside the Ministry of Health at the ETC in the local hospital in early August. This week, MSF opened a new 50-bed ETC next to the hospital, further expanding access to Ebola care in the area. The two locations are closely connected. Nia Nia is situated in an area with significant movement of people and goods between Ituri, Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces. Since the first cases were reported there, people infected in or linked to Nia Nia have travelled to other areas, including Kisangani. Thirteen of the 14 positive cases recorded in Kisangani as of 1 September had an e