WHO Warns of Ebola in Congo: Outbreak Out of Control, Threatens Other Countries

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains “out of control,” according to a warning from World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He stressed that the risk of the virus spreading further within the country and across its borders remains high.

The latest data from authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo show that around 5,000 people have been infected. More than 2,300 of them have died, while cases have been recorded in six provinces and 55 health zones.

“Let us be honest: the epidemic remains uncontrolled,” the WHO chief said.

At the opening of a meeting of the Ebola Emergency Committee, Tedros recalled that three months ago he had classified the outbreak of the Budibugio strain of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a public health emergency of international concern. He said the epidemic has since expanded rapidly, while the threat of further spread, both nationally and internationally, remains high.

On May 15, after several weeks of delay, the Democratic Republic of the Congo officially declared its 17th Ebola epidemic. The main hotspots are in northern and eastern areas, regions where state authority has a limited presence, the healthcare system is inadequate, and response structures have been strained by the increase in cases.

This is the second meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee since the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) was declared on May 17.

The World Health Organization has not yet announced when the Committee’s recommendations will be made public. Nevertheless, it is considered unlikely that the experts will call for the alert to be lifted; they may suggest additional measures and a review of the risk level.

In the WHO’s current assessment, the public health threat is rated “very high” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and “high” in Uganda, as well as in other countries bordering Congo. For the rest of Africa and the world, the risk level is classified as “low.”