WHO chief arrives in Congo amid Ebola outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo late on Thursday. The trip is meant to show of support for the African country amid the ongoing deadly Ebola outbreak.

“I want you to know that you are not alone,” Tedros said in a message posted on X, addressing the Congolese people directly

“Together, we will overcome this outbreak,” he said, adding that he and the UN would do “everything in my power to help you.”

The current Ebola outbreak is caused by a strain of the virus known as Bundibugyo. There is currently no vaccine or treatment.

According to the WHO, the Ebola outbreak has caused a suspected 220 deaths and 900 cases, and has spread to neighboring Uganda, where there are seven suspected cases.

Health authorities of the WHO believe the true scale of the outbreak is likely wider, as the virus is thought to have circulated under the radar for some time.

The crisis in the Congo prompted Uganda to shut its border “with immediate effect,” despite warnings by the WHO that the move could backfire and cause the disease to spread.

Tedros said he and the UN did not support travel bans to combat the outbreak because they “don’t help much.”

Calls to make a vaccine happen

The Ebola outbreak is the 17th recorded in Congo, a country of more than 100 million people.

Complicating efforts against the disease is that the epicenter of the outbreak lies in the east, a mineral-rich region that has been scarred by violence and disorder from various armed groups jostling for power for over three decades.

“Conflict and displacement make everything harder,” Tedros said. “I am making a direct appeal to all warring parties in this region: please, declare a ceasefire.”

Regional health authorities are racing to contain the virus, with the head of the African Union’s health agency saying on Thursday that a vaccine against this strain could be ready by the end of this year.

“What we can tell you for sure, by the end of this year, 2026, Africa CDC will make sure that we have a vaccine and medicine against Bundibugyo,” said Jean Kaseya, head of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our leaders are ready to invest. We are investing at technical level, at a strategic level, to make sure that (the vaccine) will happen,” he added.

Edited by: Sean Sinico