The director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, says 101 Ebola cases and 10 deaths have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a post on X on Monday, Ghebreyesus disclosed that the country has also recorded more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths, warning that the outbreak in the DRC is far more extensive.
He said ongoing violence and humanitarian crises in the country are complicating efforts to contain the disease outbreak.
According to him, the national risk level in the DRC has now been raised to “very high” due to the rapid spread of the virus and the absence of approved vaccines or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.
Ghebreyesus explained that the WHO is currently finalising a multi-agency preparedness and response strategy in line with national plans in both the DRC and Uganda.
He added that the organisation is intensifying contact tracing, expanding treatment centres, strengthening laboratory capacity, and increasing community engagement.
The WHO chief also revealed that Uganda has recorded two additional confirmed Ebola cases among healthcare workers, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to seven, including one death.
He said WHO and its partners will continue scaling up response efforts, warning that more cases are likely to emerge in the coming days and weeks.
“The sooner we can trace people with infections and identify their contacts, the sooner we can provide the care they need and bring this outbreak under control,” Ghebreyesus said.
Meanwhile, Roger Kamba, the DRC minister of health, said insecurity and inadequate laboratory capacity affected the country’s initial response to the outbreak.
Speaking during a media briefing after a ministerial cross-border coordination meeting in Kampala on Saturday, Kamba explained that the laboratory in Bunia was unable to detect the Bundibugyo strain, forcing authorities to send samples to Kinshasa for confirmation.
He added that the government is engaging diplomatic and mediation channels, alongside international partners, to improve access and coordination in areas controlled by the M23 armed group so that Ebola response operations can continue across affected regions.