China has dispatched a second medical expert team to the Democratic Republic of Congo as the country battles a worsening Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 400 people since mid-May.
The team, sent on Friday, includes specialists in epidemiology, clinical treatment and health quarantine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
China previously sent a first medical team to DR Congo in early June.
Guo said the second team would build on the work already carried out by Chinese experts, strengthen coordination with Congolese authorities and international organisations, and support scientific and technological cooperation based on local needs.
DR Congo has recorded 1,406 confirmed Ebola cases since the outbreak was declared on May 15, including 438 deaths, according to the Health Ministry’s latest situation report released on Thursday. The figures put the fatality rate at 31.2 percent.
“As the Ebola outbreak continues to spread, China will continue providing assistance within its capacity to African countries and help Africa overcome the outbreak at an early date,” Guo said.
The latest deployment comes as health authorities in the central African nation work to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread in affected communities.