Ebola response must be scaled up to tackle Congo outbreak: WHO

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be significantly scaled up to tackle the ongoing outbreak. During a press conference in Geneva, Tedros emphasized that tracking transmission chains remains a major challenge, stating that until every chain is found and broken, the epidemic will continue to threaten the DRC, its neighbours, and the wider region.

The number of deaths in the Congolese Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,000, according to government data. This marks the country's worst Ebola epidemic to date, which is currently spreading across the northeast of the nation. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, has become the largest and deadliest in Congo's history, surpassing the 2018-2020 epidemic.

While there is hope for progress in treatments and vaccinations, Tedros expressed concerns that many deaths were among individuals not on the known contact list. This suggests that there are transmission chains that remain undocumented. He urged the international community to increase and accelerate funding for the Congolese government-led Ebola response plan, which is currently seeking $1.3 billion.

Although the WHO has already shipped 320 tons of supplies and increased testing capacity to 3,000 tests per day, Tedros stressed the need for further funding to support the response efforts. This includes increasing bed capacity at Ebola treatment centres, with each 1,500-bed facility costing $15 million per month to operate.

Tedros noted that over 300 Ebola patients have enrolled for a trial of two treatments and that clinical trials of antiviral drug oseltamivir are underway for high-risk contacts of Ebola cases. Additionally, two new vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus are in safety trials in Britain and Canada. However, it is unclear whether an approved vaccine against the Zaire Ebola virus would also be effective against the Bundibugyo virus, as further clinical efficacy trials are necessary.