DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Requires More Global Support- WHO

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for increased international support to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Tedros made the appeal at the end of his visit to the country, during which he briefed President Félix Tshisekedi on efforts to combat the disease.

The outbreak, described by health officials as the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, reportedly went undetected for several weeks, complicating efforts to contain its spread.

During his visit, the WHO chief travelled to Ituri Province, where the first cases were reported, to assess the response and engage with health workers and affected communities.

Treatment

While noting positive developments, including five confirmed recoveries, Tedros stressed the need to scale up testing, treatment and community engagement to curb transmission.

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He warned that the actual scale of the outbreak may be significantly higher than official figures indicate, underscoring the need for sustained support and vigilance

“This Ebola can be stopped when the community owns the agenda and with strong government leadership,” he said after meeting President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa.

“We need to strengthen the capacity of the health systems in the affected areas,” Tedros said.

Tedros was expected to return to Geneva following his talks with Tshisekedi.

In a joint statement released Sunday night, the WHO and the Congolese government described the situation as “a challenging time,” noting ongoing difficulties in identifying and isolating cases, tracking contacts, and ensuring safe burial practices.

According to WHO data released Friday, there were 906 suspected Ebola cases in Congo, including 223 suspected deaths still under investigation.

By late Sunday, the government reported 282 confirmed cases and 42 deaths, following 19 newly confirmed infections. Of these, 264 confirmed cases were in Ituri province, with 15 in North Kivu and three in South Kivu, based on figures from the communications ministry.

REUTERS