WHO warns DR Congo's Ebola outbreak outpaces response

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has expanded beyond the capacity of existing response mechanisms, marking the largest such crisis in the nation's history. Dr. Vasee Moorthy, acting lead of WHO's R&D Blueprint, told reporters in Geneva that urgent financial and operational support is required to contain the virus. "The outbreak is expanding beyond the capacity of the response to manage. It is now the largest the country has ever faced," Moorthy said, highlighting the severe strain on national health infrastructure.As of Aug. 1, the outbreak had caused 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 confirmed deaths across 49 health zones in five provinces, with 708 patients recovering from the illness.