Women are being forced to have sex in return for Ebola vaccinations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it has been claimed. Fears of exploitation by frontline workers in the fight against the deadly disease were also highlighted as the death toll from the latest outbreak in the country passed 500. The claims surfaced just days after the DRC's health minister said a vaccination programme has prevented thousands of more deaths. On Saturday, officials revealed that more than 500 people had died from the latest outbreak of Ebola in the country, but a vaccination programme had prevented thousands of more deaths. But Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said that, for the first time, a vaccination programme had protected 76,425 people and prevented 'thousands' of deaths.

Source: The Star February 13, 2019 06:00 UTC