File photo: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Image source: AP)
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged stronger international support to contain the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, warning that delays in response and a lack of trust within communities are hampering efforts to control the virus.Tedros made this appeal on Saturday after his arrival in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, one of the most affected areas.Speaking to reporters, he said the international community was already helping the DRC government, but stressed that more funding and stronger community engagement were urgently needed.“We are here to discuss with the community, to see how the response is taking place and whether there are challenges to help,” Tedros said, according to Agence France-Presse.He added: “You are not alone in this. We are here, we are with you, and we will see this together.”
Calls for building confidence amid rising cases
Tedros stressed that controlling the outbreak will require what he described as “community ownership,” including tackling misinformation and mistrust around the disease response.He also said that while international assistance was important, local cooperation remained crucial. “There is experience in this country, and under government leadership, especially with community ownership, we can stop this,” he added.
The WHO chief also urged countries that have imposed travel restrictions or closed borders to reconsider such steps, saying they could discourage reporting and transparency that are essential to controlling the outbreak.“The Democratic Republic of the Congo has faced Ebola before, 16 times, and ended every outbreak. This is the 17th time. This history gives me real confidence,” Tedros said at a press conference, according to what was reported by the Associated Press.
It spread quickly through Congo and Uganda
The outbreak, caused by the highly contagious Ebola hemorrhagic fever, has spread across three eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and into neighboring Uganda. According to Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures, there have been at least 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15, along with nine confirmed infections and one death in Uganda.Health officials warn that the true scale of the outbreak may be much larger due to limited testing capacity and insecurity in the region.
Relief efforts and challenges on the ground
Medical aid has begun arriving in Bunia, including supplies from the European Union, while the United States has also announced additional financial support. However, humanitarian agencies say the response is still struggling to keep up with the spread of the disease.MSF warned that the outbreak was progressing faster than the response, saying: “Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after it was declared.”The organization called for expanded testing, faster deployment of health workers, and improved access to medical supplies.Health facilities in Ituri District reported persistent challenges, including insecurity, limited infrastructure and frequent attacks on medical centres, further complicating response operations.
Vaccine search and containment procedures
The Ebola strain causing the outbreak, Bundibugyo virus, currently has no approved treatment or vaccine.
However, health authorities said potential vaccines are being evaluated for clinical trials, and a candidate may be ready later this year.For now, the World Health Organization says containment relies on traditional measures such as surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, infection prevention and safe burial practices.Uganda has closed its borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and imposed quarantine measures on arrivals, while camps for displaced people in eastern Congo remain at high risk due to overcrowding and poor sanitation, raising fears of the disease spreading further.
