UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in eastern DR Congo on Saturday, calling for more international support to combat a severe Ebola outbreak. The WHO director-general spoke in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, stressing the need for community trust and increased financial aid.
Since the outbreak was declared May 15, the DRC has seen at least 1,077 suspected Ebola cases and 246 deaths. Uganda, where nine infections and one death have been confirmed, closed its border and imposed a 21-day quarantine for arrivals from the DRC.
The current strain, Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine, though the Africa CDC says one could be ready by year's end. The WHO is evaluating several promising candidates for clinical trials. Meanwhile, officials are relying on traditional containment measures: surveillance, rapid testing, contact tracing, and isolation.
Ituri province, along with North and South Kivu, has been ravaged by decades of conflict, with millions displaced into crowded camps. Health workers warn that an Ebola outbreak could be catastrophic in these conditions. Tedros emphasized that with government leadership and community cooperation, the outbreak can be stopped.