WHO chief says DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak can be stopped despite rising cases

The head of the World Health Organization says he is confident the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be brought under control, despite the virus spreading across several provinces and into neighbouring Uganda.

Speaking on Saturday in Bunia, in eastern Ituri Province, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Congo’s previous experience with Ebola gave him confidence that the country could contain the current emergency.

“The DRC has faced Ebola before, 16 times, and has ended every outbreak. This is the 17th. That history gives me real confidence,” Tedros said.

He spoke alongside Congo’s health minister during a visit to the epicentre of the outbreak.

WHO calls for more funding

Health teams are working to contain the outbreak, which has caused at least 1,077 suspected cases in the DRC since it was declared on May 15, including 246 deaths.

Tedros called for greater international support, saying the WHO had so far received only about one-third of the funding required for the response.

He said the Congolese government had already allocated $20 million and was mobilising further resources.

“With their leadership, with the support from all partners, we believe that we can stop it,” he said.

No licensed vaccine for Bundibugyo strain

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola strain for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment.

Tedros said the situation remained serious, but not hopeless.

“Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus can be survived with good medical care, and some people here in Ituri have already recovered,” he said. “Seeking care early makes a real difference.”

The WHO and its partners are pursuing clinical trials to develop vaccines and treatments for the strain. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said a vaccine could be ready by the end of the year.

Uganda confirms cases

The outbreak has also reached Uganda, where health authorities have reported nine confirmed infections, including one death, according to Africa CDC.

Ebola spreads through close contact with infected people or bodily fluids. Health officials say community trust, early treatment and safe burial practices are critical to stopping transmission.

Tedros warned that some traditional funeral practices, including touching the bodies of people who have died from Ebola, can spread the virus further.

“While we grieve for those we have lost, we must do everything we can so that we do not lose another,” he said.

The WHO has cautioned that the true scale of the outbreak in the DRC may be wider than official figures suggest, as the virus is believed to have been circulating before it was detected.