WHO Chief Says Ebola Response Gaining Ground
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered the assessment to reporters in Geneva following a firsthand visit to the outbreak's ground zero in Ituri province, citing growing commitment from government officials, frontline health workers, community leaders, and humanitarian partners.
"The outbreak had a big head start, and we're still behind, but under the leadership of the government, we are catching up," he said.
WHO data shows the crisis has produced 344 confirmed Ebola cases and 60 fatalities across 24 health zones spanning three Congolese provinces. Neighboring Uganda has recorded 15 confirmed infections and one death.
Tedros noted a significant drop in suspected cases — from over 1,000 the previous week to 116 — as investigators cleared a mounting backlog of outstanding probes.
The agency's internal risk classification remains very high domestically, high across the region, and low on a global scale.
"So far, six people have recovered in DRC and two in Uganda, showing that people can survive Ebola if they have access to care and go to health facilities as soon as they show symptoms," he said.
Among the WHO's identified operational priorities: scaling up laboratory capacity, tightening surveillance infrastructure, and overhauling contact tracing systems. The WHO chief disclosed that only around 45% of known contacts are currently being monitored — a figure far short of the 90%-plus threshold required to get ahead of the virus.
Tedros also raised alarm over sweeping travel restrictions imposed by certain nations, warning these measures are fracturing supply chains and undermining outbreak response logistics.
"We ask countries that have imposed blanket travel restrictions to lift them," he said, instead endorsing exit screening protocols at airports, seaports, and land border crossings to intercept potential case exports.
The WHO chief further flagged the challenge of entrenched community distrust, revealing that some local leaders he met personally still maintain that "Ebola is not real."
While underscoring the value of medical countermeasures, Tedros argued the definitive path to ending the outbreak lies in "leadership, ownership, partnership and trust."
He closed with a stark reminder that Ebola is just one layer of a far deeper health crisis confronting the Congolese population: "If the people of Ituri survive Ebola only to die from malaria or malnutrition, or pneumonia or diarrheal disease or HIV or diabetes, we have not really helped them."
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
