Ebola outbreak could be contained within 3 months - WHO

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading rapidly and poses a significant risk of international transmission, the World Health Organization's head has warned. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the epidemic is far from being under control, noting that it has a significant head start and the organization is still playing catch-up.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has claimed over 2,300 lives out of nearly 5,000 cases, making it the deadliest in the country's history. The 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo has affected regions in the north and east, where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is lacking, and armed groups have been active for decades. This marks the second meeting of the WHO emergency committee since the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, its second-highest alert level.

The organization currently rates the public health risk as "very high" in the DRC, "high" for Uganda and other neighboring nations, and "low" elsewhere. Cases have been reported in six DRC provinces, including one near the South Sudan border, and in neighboring Uganda. Tedros emphasized that the risk of further national and international spread remains high.

The Ebola outbreak has progressed faster than any previous epidemic, according to Tedros. The 2018-2020 outbreak in Congo, previously the deadliest, caused 2,299 deaths out of 3,381 confirmed cases. The deadliest Ebola outbreak globally occurred in West Africa from 2013 to 2016, resulting in over 11,300 deaths, primarily in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

The WHO had previously stated that containing the disease within three months is feasible, provided sufficient resources are available. However, recent developments suggest that the situation may have worsened, with the outbreak expanding to a sixth province. Regarding the upcoming three-month plan, WHO incident manager Thierno Balde stated that, with adequate resources, containment could be achieved.

Currently, the organization has raised about 60% of the $115 million (€99m) it requires for the Ebola response. Despite this, efforts are intensifying, with an additional 400 beds added in the past two weeks.