WHO Director-General Visits Congo Amid Ebola Outbreak
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Bunia, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, amid an outbreak of a rare Ebola type. The virus spreads rapidly despite improved health facilities and new aid deliveries.
Tedros plans to visit a treatment center and meet with local authorities, health workers, and affected families in Bunia. He emphasized the need to provide necessary support at the epicenter to combat the disease effectively.
Authorities have reported 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths, according to the WHO. Neighboring Uganda confirmed nine cases and one death, as reported by its health ministry. The current Ebola virus strain, Bundibugyo, lacks an approved treatment or vaccine.
Tedros expressed confidence in Congo’s ability to control the outbreak, noting the country’s previous experiences with Ebola. His statement followed a meeting with Congo’s Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka.
The European Union sent medical aid to Ituri, the center of Congo’s outbreak. Additional supplies are expected in the coming days. The U.S. announced $80 million in aid, raising its total to over $112 million.
Healthcare facilities like Bunia’s Rwampara and General hospitals report better organization and resources, but patients keep arriving continuously.
Doctors Without Borders warned about the outbreak’s rapid spread. Dr. Alan Gonzalez emphasized the need for expanded testing, more aid workers, and consistent medical supply access.
“Nobody knows the true scale and severity of this outbreak,” Gonzalez stated.
Health workers face danger due to local anger over strict medical protocols for handling Ebola victims’ bodies. Anger has resulted in attacks on health centers.
Responses are further hindered by attacks from the Allied Democratic Force and ethnic militias. The illness has also reached Congo’s North and South Kivu provinces, where the M23 rebel group, aided by Rwanda, controls many cities.
Uganda and Rwanda have closed borders, and the Trump administration banned non-U.S. passport holders from Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.
Tedros criticized these border closures and travel bans as ineffective measures. He argued that such actions discourage transparency and urged reconsideration, highlighting the open reporting by the Democratic Republic of Congo.