The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says he is travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) to support health workers battling a deadly Ebola outbreak in the country.
According to the latest WHO figures released up to May 24, the DR Congo has recorded 10 confirmed Ebola deaths and 223 suspected fatalities since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, with more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases reported.
Tedros expressed concern that insecurity in eastern DR Congo, an area plagued by decades of armed conflict, is complicating efforts to contain the disease.
“On my way to DRC. Ebola is back. Ituri province is bearing the brunt,” Tedros wrote on X.
“I will be on the ground with our WHO teams, partners, and the extraordinary health workers who have never stopped fighting, all working under the leadership of the government of DRC.
“Sixteen times, this country has defeated Ebola. The 17th will be no different. But we must act now, together.”
The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The virus was first detected in the northeastern Ituri province, where state institutions and healthcare services have remained weak due to years of violence and instability.
WHO has warned that the outbreak may be far more widespread than current figures suggest, noting that the virus is believed to have circulated undetected for some time before the official declaration of the outbreak.