The WHO Director-General will visit the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced his intention to make an urgent visit to the city of Bunia in the Congolese province of Ituri. This region has become the epicenter of yet another dangerous Ebola outbreak. 

The head of the organization announced his plans in an open letter to local residents, published on social media platform X.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the international community is acting under the clear leadership of the DRC government and in full coordination with all relevant partners. The mission’s primary goal is to quickly contain the outbreak and protect the local population. He emphasized that he does not intend to manage the crisis remotely from the comfort of his office in Geneva, but will travel to the site in person to meet with community leaders, listen to their needs, and coordinate the provision of emergency medical care.

The WHO Director-General noted that this outbreak is the 17th in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He highlighted the exceptional resilience and experience of local health workers and communities, who have previously successfully overcome each of these similar epidemics. In addition, the official assured that WHO teams would remain in the region for as long as the situation requires, and after the active phase of the outbreak ends, the organization will continue to help the country build a robust health care system.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded its 17th Ebola outbreak, which has already claimed the lives of 80 people. This time, the disease was likely caused by the little-studied Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, rather than the more common Zaire ebolavirus.

Ethiopia has recorded its first outbreak of the Marburg virus, which is clinically similar to Ebola. The pathogen is capable of spreading rapidly, but there are no vaccines against it.