WHO chief rallies community in Congo’s Ebola response, calls for more funding

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is calling on communities at the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak to play a leading role in the fight against the disease. Arriving in Bunia, a hotspot in the Ituri province, Tedros emphasized that local populations understand the challenges and solutions best.

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The communities understand the problems better and they know the solution as well.

"The communities understand the problems better and they know the solution as well," Tedros told reporters. He stressed the importance of "community ownership" alongside international and government efforts. Tedros arrived in Congo on Thursday to assess the response, which had recorded 1,028 suspected cases by Friday, according to Congolese authorities.

Earlier in Kinshasa, Tedros had appealed for increased international funding, noting that the WHO had only secured one-third of its required resources. Meanwhile, the French aid group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) issued a stark warning on Saturday. MSF stated that the current Ebola outbreak, the 17th since 1976, is spreading faster than any previous outbreak.

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Yes, the international community is involved, under the leadership of the government of DRC. At the same time, community ownership is important. That’s why we are here to discuss with the community to see how the response is running and, if there are challenges, to help.

"Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration," said Alan Gonzalez, MSF's deputy director of operations. He added that the number of medical experts and the level of support on the ground are still significantly below what is needed to effectively combat the escalating crisis.

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Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration.