Ebola outbreak on track to be deadliest ever, WHO chief says

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to be the deadliest ever, according to the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The 2026 outbreak is progressing at a pace that could surpass the 2014-2016 outbreak, which claimed at least 11,000 lives. Declared on May 15, the current outbreak has already reported over 4,300 cases and more than 2,000 deaths.

The WHO aims to curb the spread within three months, but acknowledges that this does not necessarily mean bringing the outbreak to an end. While the epidemic was officially declared in May, health officials believe the outbreak began at least three months prior. WHO Africa director Dr. Mohamed Janabi stated that the virus likely started spreading in February and was initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid.