Most of the cases in Uige province have been in the municipality that bears the same name -- 175 cases, of which 163 were fatal. Seven other municipalities in the province reported a small number of cases.

Lack of understanding of the situation and refusal to accept control measures instituted by health authorities are still critical problems among the populace. Resistance to the authorities' methods of handling and burying the dead has provoked noncompliance and outright hostility in some areas.

Traditional Community Leaders Enlisted

On Friday, meetings were held in the WHO office in Uige with traditional community leaders, known as "Sobas," for all of Uige municipality, WHO reports. Uige's governor and the director of its health services have released the Sobas from their present duties for seven days so they can accompany mobile surveillance and medical teams in the search for additional cases. Among their priorities will be the collection of bodies.

This decision is welcomed as an important step forward in achieving community acceptance of measures needed to bring the outbreak under control, says WHO.

WHO staff in Uige plan to extend the same procedures, recruiting locally respected Sobas, to all municipalities known to be affected by the disease. This plan has the supporte of the authorities.

Further Training Provided for Hospital Staff

Training to protect staff at the Uige provincial hospital from infection and reduce the risk of transmission is continuing. On Friday, training was provided for 82 nurses in high-risk departments, including the maternity ward and the laboratory, WHO reports.

Heads of departments and doctors were trained Thursday. Training for health staff in private clinics and for health workers in the police force is planned for early next week.

In response to an international appeal launched on April 8, WHO says it has received pledges of funding from Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the European Union Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in support of efforts to stop the outbreak.