News in Depth
Amid Ebola Outbreak, ADRA Works to Feed Malnourished Children
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Adventist agency provides humanitarian support.
By Kimi-Roux James, Adventist Development and Relief Agency
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 1984. The most recent outbreak of the ebola virus, which began in August 2018, has reportedly been the longest-lasting and second-biggest outbreak to strike the country so far. ADRA has been delivering support through providing clean water, sanitation, and instruction in hygiene best practices. The most vulnerable of the population, who face dire needs during the epidemic, are children and women. CRISIS OVERVIEW
The World Health Organization (WHO), an agency of the United Nations concerned with international public health, recently made the official call that the Ebola disease in the DRC had become a global health crisis.
Since the current outbreak began in 2018, more than 1,700 deaths have been confirmed, more than 2,500 people infected, and 17,000 people are in question who may have been in contact with the virus. Vaccinations, according to WHO, help minimize the spread or exposure of the disease, but because of ongoing conflict and community resistance, in part because of poverty, misinformation, cultural practices, and marginalization, the outbreak has posed a challenge for frontline workers to contain. ADRA’S RESPONSE TO EBOLA
In the DRC, ADRA has branch offices in 17 provinces around the country and is partnering with other humanitarian organizations to implement a food-for-work program to help the communities most affected by the epidemic. “Our top priority is to work with community leaders to help us
This photo from the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa shows ADRA personnel disinfecting ambulances and household items of Ebola patients. Photo: ADRA 6
October 2019 AdventistWorld.org
build trust and engage with the communities. We want to bridge any gaps in care so we can offer humanitarian assistance,” said Mario Oliveira, emergency response director for ADRA. ADRA has developed a child feeding program with help from UNICEF to work in health-care zones of Katwa, Butembo, Beni, Mabalako, and Oicha in the North Kivu province. “The main objective of this emergency response is to reduce the risk of malnutrition among children aged 26 months and younger, pregnant, and lactating women affected by the Ebola virus disease,” Oliveira said. The project, according to ADRA in DRC, includes establishing maternal breastfeeding corners in treatment centers and health centers for children 2 years old and younger. The initiative also includes purchasing necessary breastfeeding items to nurse infants; training psychosocial and nutrition assistants, including ADRA staff, on emergency feeding of infants and young children; and training registered nurses to relay infection control communication and prevention methods. To date, ADRA has reached more than 170,000 beneficiaries through prevention and community mobilization activities. More work, Oliveira believes, is needed to contain the virus. “The Ebola outbreak will eventually be contained, but hopefully soon before it gets much worse and does not spread across any other borders,” Oliveira said.