中国派遣第二支医疗队赴刚果（金）支援埃博拉疫情防控
officials and experts announced on Thursday that China has deployed its second team of medical specialists to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to assist with the ongoing Ebola outbreak. The mission focuses on strengthening virus control cooperation, enhancing local testing capacity, and improving response protocols.
The five-member team, comprising experts in laboratory testing, clinical treatment, and a customs official, departed from Beijing early on Friday.
深化国际合作与社区防护
Gu Zhiqiang, an official with the Department of International Cooperation at the National Health Commission who leads the team, stated that the mission aims to further strengthen collaboration with local institutions, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations.
"We aim to gain a closer understanding of how the Ebola outbreak is evolving and the assistance that the DRC has received from the international community," Gu said. He added that Chinese authorities plan to promote cooperation between Chinese and DRC institutions to supply public health products to affected areas. Additionally, the medical specialists will assist local Chinese-funded enterprises and communities in better implementing disease prevention and control measures.
疫情现状与挑战
The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda "a public health emergency of international concern" on May 17. Caused by the Bundibugyo strain, the outbreak currently lacks a targeted vaccine or specific therapy.
According to government data released on Wednesday, the DRC has reported 1,406 confirmed cases, including 438 deaths. While 192 patients have recovered, 609 remain under treatment. Neighboring Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases linked to the DRC outbreak and two deaths by the end of June.
China previously dispatched its first medical team of five experts to assist with the outbreak response on June 2.
提升检测能力与建立长效机制
Su Qiudong, a researcher specializing in viral diseases at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a member of the new team, noted that since early June, both the number of cases and the mortality rate have been rising, with the virus appearing to spread across regions.
"To help bring the outbreak under control, one of our key tasks is to assist local authorities in shortening the turnaround time for diagnostic test results and improving the overall speed and accuracy of testing," Su said. He added that the team plans to explore establishing long-term cooperation mechanisms with local medical institutions, including information sharing and personnel exchanges.
Last month, China released updated guidelines for Ebola diagnosis and treatment, along with revised disease prevention and control protocols. To date, the country has reported no imported or domestically transmitted Ebola cases.
分享经验与优化防控策略
Wang Xinyu, deputy head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai and a team member, emphasized that while sharing China's experience in tackling infectious diseases, the experts will also gather frontline information to help further improve the country's virus control measures.
Wang stressed that promptly identifying, diagnosing, and isolating infected patients remains essential for containing an acute outbreak. "For confirmed patients, it is important to provide treatment as early as possible and to mobilize multidisciplinary expert consultations for those in critical condition," he added.
Gu concluded that Chinese authorities will dispatch additional medical experts in the future to support outbreak response efforts based on evolving needs.
