WHO chief warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak ‘far from being under control’

WHO chief warns Ebola in DR Congo 'far from being under control'

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is moving faster than any previous epidemic and remains far from being contained. Speaking at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "We must be frank: the epidemic is far from being under control."

According to Africa News, Tedros stated that the outbreak remains a global health emergency with a high risk of spreading to more countries in the region. He reportedly told the gathering of experts that the virus was moving faster than any previous one, and added, "It had a big head start, and we are still playing catch-up," as quoted by the South China Morning Post.

The comments came after the DRC reported on Monday that the outbreak has killed more than 2,300 people out of nearly 5,000 cases, making it the deadliest in the country's history, as reported by both outlets. The outbreak was declared on May 15 and is the country's 17th Ebola outbreak, according to the South China Morning Post, which also noted that the disease is thought to have been spreading for several weeks before that declaration.

Dieudonne Mwamba, Director General of the DRC's National Public Health Institute, said there has been an increase in cases and deaths in recent weeks, according to Africa News. He attributed this partly to "unsafe areas where our teams have struggled to carry out activities and gain access," and noted that misinformation continued to be spread about the disease, resulting in resistance within affected communities.

The outbreak has spread to six provinces in the north and east of the DRC, where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is largely lacking, and fighting continues with various armed groups. Mwamba stressed the need to combine efforts to quickly bring the epidemic under control by containing it where it is currently present, starting with the epicentre in Ituri Province while preventing other high-risk provinces from being affected.

Tuesday marked the second meeting of the WHO emergency committee since the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, as reported by Africa News. Tedros urged the international community to assist in containment efforts and called for governments to cooperate in fighting the disease. He said new recommendations would be issued to the DRC and other at-risk countries in the coming days.

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes haemorrhagic fever. For the Bundibugyo strain involved in this outbreak, no specific vaccine or treatment exists, although clinical trials are underway.

Tedros expressed particular concern about "where people are dying - at home, in their communities, outside treatment centres, and outside known contact lists," highlighting the challenges of containing a virus in areas with limited access and ongoing instability.