WHO chief visits epicentre of Ebola outbreak in DR Congo

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Saturday to assess the escalating Ebola outbreak. He landed in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, the region most severely affected by the epidemic.

Ghebreyesus told reporters that while the international community is supporting the DRC government, "community ownership is important." He highlighted that his visit aimed to "discuss with the community, to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help."

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We are here to discuss with the community, to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help.

The highly contagious hemorrhagic fever has now spread to three eastern DRC provinces and neighboring Uganda, where nine confirmed cases, including one death, have been recorded. In the DRC, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths since the outbreak was declared on May 15. The WHO warns the true extent of the outbreak may be wider, as the vast and unstable country has limited capacity for testing, further complicated by decades of conflict in its eastern regions.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) noted that "never has an Ebola epidemic recorded so many cases in the first days after it being declared," adding that the number of deployed medical experts remains insufficient. Insecurity, fueled by militant groups, hinders access to affected areas, and millions displaced by fighting live in camps with poor hygiene, increasing the risk of further spread.

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never has an Ebola epidemic recorded so many cases in the first days after it being declared