Ebola outbreak continues to spread in DR Congo, women, children worst hit: UN

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) continues to spread fast, with women and children bearing the brunt of the epidemic, according to the United Nations.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that women and children have been the hardest hit by the epidemic.

According to statistics from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), more than 300 children in the country have died from Ebola since the outbreak began.

UNICEF also said although children account for only about a quarter of confirmed cases, they make up about a third of all deaths.

"The outbreak is unfolding in a province where nearly one million people are displaced, around 80 percent of them women and children. According to the UN Children's Fund, more than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began. Children make up nearly a quarter of confirmed cases, but almost a third of all deaths," said Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman.

Furthermore, the outbreak has severely strained the local healthcare system.

In the hardest-hit areas, the utilization of healthcare services has plummeted in recent months as people fear infection.

The United Nations said that the key to containing the outbreak is to restore community trust in the healthcare system.

Currently, various parties have deployed approximately 13,000 community workers to conduct public health awareness campaigns and have completed more than 500,000 home visits to help raise public awareness, facilitate early detection of cases, and ensure timely medical care.

Ebola outbreak continues to spread in DR Congo, women, children worst hit: UN

Ebola outbreak continues to spread in DR Congo, women, children worst hit: UN

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Beijing on Tuesday, to discuss relations between their two countries.

Thongsavanh is in China to attend the 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Wang said China is ready to work with Laos to further build a community with a shared future.

He urged efforts from both sides to make full use of the Joint Committee for China-Laos Economic Corridor Cooperation, accelerate development of the China-Laos Railway, and expand cooperation in trade and mineral resources.

Thongsavanh said Laos is committed to advancing the building of a Laos-China community with a shared future, and strengthening cooperation with China in connectivity, energy, mineral resources, and artificial intelligence.

He also pledged closer coordination to combat transnational crime and jointly safeguard ASEAN unity and autonomy, as well as regional peace and stability.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the Year of China-Laos Friendship.

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism comprises six countries: China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, which share the Lancang-Mekong River basin. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, originates in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Qinghai Province and flows through the six countries, linking their economies and creating opportunities for regional cooperation.

Chinese foreign minister meets Lao deputy prime minister on relations