The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, raising concerns that the situation could deteriorate further in the coming weeks.
Speaking during a virtual meeting of the African Union, Dr.
Tedros said delays in detecting Ebola infections had hindered response efforts, leaving health authorities struggling to keep pace with the outbreak.
“We are playing catch-up,” he said, adding that the epidemic was likely to worsen before improvements are seen.
According to the WHO chief, the number of suspected Ebola-related deaths has risen to 220, underscoring the scale of the public health challenge facing affected communities.
Tedros announced that he would travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the centre of the outbreak, alongside WHO emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu to assess the situation and support ongoing response measures.
The warning came as Uganda confirmed two additional Ebola infections on Monday, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to seven.
Tedros also cautioned that countries sharing borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo remain at significant risk of recording cases.
The WHO has already designated the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola as a public health emergency of international concern.
Health officials say efforts to contain the disease have....
