WHO Chief Visits Congo as Ebola Outbreak Accelerates
KINSHASA-World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday for high-level meetings with government officials and response partners as the country’s rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak continues to spread and disruptions caused by striking frontline health workers raise further concerns about the emergency response.
Tedros, making his second visit since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, was scheduled to meet President Félix Tshisekedi and health partners in the capital, Kinshasa, according to the WHO country office. His visit comes as health authorities and humanitarian organizations seek to strengthen measures to contain what officials describe as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded.
According to figures released overnight by Congo’s Ministry of Health, the outbreak had reached 3,874 confirmed cases, including 1,751 deaths, as of Monday. The virus continues to spread primarily in the eastern province of Ituri, where insecurity, difficult terrain and limited access to health services have complicated response efforts.
In Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, residents said some frontline health workers had stopped working in protest over unpaid salaries and demands for improved wages. Although some workers have reportedly begun receiving payments during the past week for services provided since the outbreak began, they continue to seek better compensation.
The labor action has further strained health services in a region already affected by armed conflict and weak infrastructure. Families said reduced staffing has delayed access to treatment and other essential medical services as Ebola cases continue to rise.
Anicet Baluku, a resident of Bunia, said two of his brothers died after contracting Ebola and appealed to authorities to resolve the payment dispute quickly. He urged officials to prevent other families from suffering similar losses.
The current outbreak has surpassed all previous Ebola outbreaks in terms of the speed at which confirmed infections have increased and is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. Only the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic recorded more cases, with more than 28,000 infections and over 11,000 deaths.
Health officials have said the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. Local authorities believe transmission began in a remote area well before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday that transmission continues at an “alarming and unprecedented rate,” despite an expanding response effort. The organization said intervention teams have not been reaching affected communities quickly enough to interrupt chains of transmission.
Officials have also expressed concern over weaknesses in contact tracing, a critical component of Ebola control. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, who visited Bunia on Tuesday, said between 60% and 70% of newly identified cases were emerging outside the network of people already being monitored after exposure to infected patients.
Health authorities say delayed detection has contributed significantly to the outbreak’s severity. Ministry of Health data showed that 77 new cases were reported during the previous 24 hours, including 44 deaths, underscoring the continuing pressure on the country’s health system.
According to the ministry, 717 patients are currently being treated in isolation while 749 people have recovered from the disease. Officials continue to emphasize surveillance, isolation and community engagement as central elements of the response while international health agencies work with Congolese authorities to contain further spread.
