Congo Ebola outbreak outpacing response, says WHO chief
The WHO director-general has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading faster than current containment efforts. Health worker strikes over pay and ongoing regional conflict are significantly hindering the medical response.
Why it matters
The rapid spread of a deadly virus in a conflict-prone region poses a significant threat to regional stability and global public health.
The world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak is spreading quicker than efforts to fight it, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where some health workers are striking over a lack of pay.
Nearly three months into the outbreak, new cases are doubling in some hot spots, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X after meeting officials in the capital Kinshasa.
It was the second visit by the WHO director-general to the central African country since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.
"We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners," Dr Tedros said.
The outbreak has accounted for 3,874 confirmed cases, including 1,751 deaths, as of Monday, according to the latest data from Congo's Ministry of Health.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in