Health

Sharon Gaffney is pleased to welcome Heather Kerr, Country Director for Congo at the International Rescue Committee. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is unprecedented, not simply because of its scale, but because it spread undetected for months before it was correctly identified. According to Kerr, the response has been hindered by delayed diagnosis, the complexity of distinguishing this Bundibugyo strain from other common illnesses, and the immense operational challenges of working in an active conflict zone. ]

Roads blocked and checkpoints closed: After every outbreak of violence, Israel seals off the West Bank. Like after events in Nablus, where two Israeli settlers and four Palestinians died on July 24. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel travelled with a paramedic who regularly transports pregnant women to hospital. ]

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola outbreak is spreading, with the number of infections rising rapidly. Declared in mid-May, this seventeenth Ebola outbreak has already claimed more than 1,700 lives. To address this situation, the World Health Organisation has called for an "intensified" medical response. Teams of doctors have been sent to the DR Congo, and specialised centres have been set up in the hardest-hit provinces while trials to find an effective vaccine continue. ]

No matter how sharp your vision, you're going to need some special glasses next week… Wednesday August 12 will bring the most complete solar eclipse since 1989 – the moon will fully cover the sun. To fully appreciate the celestial spectacle,you will require dedicated spectacles. Bryan Quinn and our colleagues at France Televisions tell us how to pick the right ones. ]

The DR Congo is set to open its largest Ebola treatment facility. Construction is nearing completion as health authorities race to contain an outbreak that the World Health Organization has described as intensifying at an "exceptional" pace. As of July 30, the WHO reported 3,605 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,587 deaths in the DR Congo. Officials hope the expanded treatment capacity will strengthen response efforts and improve care for patients as the outbreak continues to spread. ]

The lengthy absence of Cameroon's long-serving President Paul Biya, who has been in Switzerland since early June, has reignited debate about government inaction, in a country where many crave change. Biya has made frequent trips to Geneva over the years and has faced waves of speculation and rumours regarding his health. FRANCE 24's Indira Ayuk tells us more from Yaoundé. ]

France recorded at least 5,700 more deaths than usual during a historic heatwave last month, the public health agency said Wednesday, sharply increasing its estimates of the feared toll from record-shattering temperatures. FRANCE 24's James Vasina reports. ]

The number of deaths in the current Ebola epidemic in the DRC has now topped 1,000, and the number of confirmed cases is around 2500. Experts are calling for more funding to help tackle the crisis as it becomes the fastest spreading outbreak ever recorded. ]