WHO's Tedros vists DR Congo as Ebola outbreak accelerates

WHO's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus travels to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, as the Ebola outbreak there escalates. The 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo's history is both the fastest-spreading and second-largest on record. The head of the World Health Organization has visited the country twice this summer since the emergency was declared in mid-May.

Meanwhile, a health scare occurred in the Maluku municipality near Kinshasa, where a passenger on a crowded ship died with Ebola-like symptoms. Authorities are isolating the deceased and conducting checks on the roughly 200 other people on board. The boat, mainly transporting timber, had originated in Kisangani, far to the east in Congo.

Tedros met with health and humanitarian partners to discuss the challenges in responding to the outbreak. He emphasized the need to urgently scale up efforts across various response pillars and stressed the importance of community trust and leadership. As of Monday, Congo's Ministry of Health had confirmed 3,874 cases, with 1,751 deaths.

Most cases are concentrated in the eastern Ituri province. The rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved treatment or vaccine, is spreading rapidly in a remote area with poor infrastructure. Doctors Without Borders warns that contact tracing is ineffective, and more cases are being detected late, reducing the chances of survival.

The outbreak's origins likely date back several months, with initial misdiagnoses of deaths as other conditions. Local funeral practices contribute to the virus's spread.