The World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province on Saturday, the epicenter of a severe Ebola outbreak.
The visit comes as the virus spreads faster than health workers can contain it, despite better-organized facilities and new aid. Tedros is expected to visit a treatment center and meet local officials, health workers, and affected families in Bunia, the provincial capital.
“The best way to address this is to provide all the necessary support to fight the disease at its epicenter,” Tedros told reporters. “Community ownership is important.”
The highly contagious hemorrhagic fever has spread to three eastern DRC provinces and Uganda. At least 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths have been reported, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Uganda has confirmed nine infections and one death.
WHO announced the first recovery of a confirmed Ebola patient in this outbreak on Wednesday.
Conflict is hampering the response. Ituri province is plagued by Islamic State-affiliated ADF militants and ethnic militias, while North and South Kivu are controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 group, which has reported cases in Goma and Bukavu. Millions of displaced people live in camps with poor sanitation, raising alarm about further spread.
In response, Uganda and Rwanda have closed their borders, and the Trump administration banned entry for non-US passport holders who recently visited Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.