The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, has announced that Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have increased to 344 confirmed infections, with 60 deaths recorded so far. Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Ghebreyesus stated that the backlog of suspected Ebola cases has decreased significantly from over 1,000 to 116, thanks to improved laboratory testing capacity across affected areas.
Update from Outbreak Epicentre
The WHO chief provided this update after returning from the outbreak epicentre in Ituri Province, where he engaged with political leaders, frontline health workers, and community groups involved in the response. According to him, WHO's latest risk assessment remains very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low globally, despite ongoing efforts to contain transmission and strengthen surveillance.
Confirmed Cases Across Health Zones
He confirmed that cases have been reported across 24 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, highlighting the scale of the outbreak and the challenges facing response teams. “Treatment capacity has expanded with three centres and 80 beds now open in Bunia, plus units in Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Beni, Goma, and Bukavu,” he said. “Six people have recovered in DRC and two in Uganda, but contact tracing still lags at 45 per cent against the 90 per cent target needed to control spread.”
Cross-Border Spread
Mr. Ghebreyesus noted that the outbreak has crossed international borders, with Uganda recording 15 confirmed cases and one death, including a Congolese resident who travelled through the United Arab Emirates. He added that a US citizen infected in DRC remains under treatment in Germany, while WHO continues coordinating with Ugandan and UAE authorities on contact tracing and exposure-risk assessments.
Five Major Challenges
The WHO Director-General identified five major challenges slowing response efforts and emphasised the urgent need for stronger surveillance systems, community engagement, and improved operational access in affected regions.
- Testing delays persist: WHO is decentralising labs to Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde, and Tchomia.
- Low contact tracing: Only 45 per cent of contacts are being followed in DRC due to insecurity and displacement.
- Travel restrictions: Blanket travel restrictions are disrupting supply chains despite WHO recommending exit screening instead.
- Community mistrust: Some leaders still doubt Ebola is real; building trust is now a core priority.
- No approved vaccines or therapeutics: WHO has convened its Medical Countermeasures Network to accelerate trials and diagnostics.
Commitment to Ending Outbreak
According to him, leadership, community ownership, and trust remain essential to ending the outbreak successfully. “Our ultimate measure of success is not whether we stop this outbreak. We will. DRC has stopped 16 previous Ebola outbreaks,” he said. “The real measure is what we do to prevent the 18th and 19th, if communities survive Ebola only to die from malaria, malnutrition or other diseases, we have not really helped them.” WHO pledged to stay after the outbreak ends to help build stronger health and humanitarian services under government leadership.
