WHO chief visits Ebola outbreak epicenter in DR Congo

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Bunia, a city at the epicenter of the current Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. His visit aims to offer necessary support and assess the situation firsthand.

The outbreak, declared on May 15 in the Ituri province, involves a rare form of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Currently, there is no specific treatment or vaccine available for this strain, making containment and care efforts critical. Tedros met with local health officials, healthcare workers, and affected families during his visit.

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The best approach is to offer every necessary support for the fight against the disease in this epicenter and to provide all needed help.

During his earlier visit to the capital, Kinshasa, Tedros had pledged the WHO's full commitment to combating the disease. The WHO reported 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths as of Friday. However, the organization believes the actual extent of the outbreak may be greater than these figures suggest.

Neighboring Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death linked to the outbreak. Meanwhile, aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called for an immediate expansion of testing, faster deployment of response teams, and improved access to medical supplies. The WHO specialist Anaïs Legand noted a first confirmed recovery case, suggesting that other unconfirmed recoveries may have occurred due to limited testing capacity in the DRC.

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We can assume further recoveries from Ebola, who were not tested given the limited capacities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.