WHO reports over 900 suspected Ebola cases in DR Congo

Geneva - Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Sunday, 24 May, that more than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified, including 101 confirmed, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the country strengthens surveillance in managing the outbreak.

Tedros stated in a post on X that in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the outbreak, nearly five million people live amid ongoing conflict, with one in four requiring humanitarian aid and one in five internally displaced.

“Violence forces people to flee, including healthcare workers and humanitarian staff, severely hindering efforts to improve Ebola contact tracing and identify infections early enough for supportive care to be provided,” he said.

He added that ongoing insecurity and fear have also sparked community distrust.

The WHO chief said the organisation and humanitarian health partners remain present across Ituri, including in some of the most inaccessible and unsafe areas, where communities face not only Ebola but also other diseases.

Tedros stressed that providing comprehensive healthcare packages is vital, not only to address urgent health needs but also to build the crucial trust needed for an effective Ebola response.

On 16 May, Tedros declared the Bundibugyo virus-caused Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

On 22 May, WHO revised its risk assessment to ‘very high’ at national level, while maintaining ‘high’ regionally and ‘low’ globally.