WHO Chief: Ebola Outbreak in Congo Not Under Control

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has declared that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains out of control. "The disease had a head start, and we are still lagging behind," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva, following a visit to the affected region in eastern Congo.

The deadly virus likely spread for weeks in the Ituri province, bordering Uganda and South Sudan, before its identification in mid-May. The outbreak involves a rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which was not detected by conventional tests. Congolese authorities report 363 confirmed cases in the eastern part of the country, including 62 deaths. The WHO suspects a significant number of unreported cases. In neighboring Uganda, 15 cases have been confirmed.

Tedros highlighted several challenges hindering containment efforts. Contact tracing remains difficult, with only 45% of contacts successfully isolated, far below the over 90% needed to halt the spread. Gaining public trust is another major hurdle, as mistrust, superstition, and disinformation prevent people from seeking treatment or reporting cases. The WHO is working to expand testing capacity and advance the development of vaccines and therapeutics for this specific viral strain.

Compounding the difficulties, five suspected Ebola patients escaped from a prison in Ituri province. The individuals, who were inmates at the Bunia Central Prison, showed symptoms over the weekend. They were transferred to treatment centers to prevent further spread within the prison, which houses over 1,000 inmates. However, due to lax security, all five managed to escape.