World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to address an Ebola outbreak that is outpacing the global response. After landing in Kinshasa on Thursday, he is traveling to Ituri province in the northeast, where the epidemic is centered and the virus has been circulating for weeks. This outbreak, the third largest on record, involves a rare type of Ebola virus.
The region is facing what Tedros described as a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict, with fighting in the east hampering medical relief efforts. The outbreak has killed more than 200 people, with the WHO recording 10 confirmed and 223 suspected deaths. While aid supplies have been rushed into the center of the outbreak, medical workers are struggling with equipment shortages, distrustful locals, and armed groups.
To contain the virus, the WHO is partnering with the national medical research organization of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to scale up diagnostic capacities. This effort aims to strengthen the laboratory network to deliver real-time data and rapidly identify confirmed cases to save lives. Tedros has urged armed groups to declare a ceasefire as medical support continues to arrive, stating that his visit is intended to show the community they are not alone.
Despite the current challenges, Tedros vowed to overcome the outbreak, noting that the country has defeated Ebola 16 times previously. He stated that the 17th instance will be no different, but stressed that the world must act together immediately to ensure the outbreak is contained.