WHO Chief in DR Congo as Ebola Outbreak Surges
Last update: May 28, 2026
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It’s a race against time in the DR Congo, and right now the Ebola virus is winning.
The head of the World Health Organisation was on his way to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday as an Ebola outbreak, now the third largest on record, outpaces global efforts to contain it, according to cbinews.tv.
Health authorities in Congo and neighbouring countries are scrambling to control the latest outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain. The problem is there’s no vaccine or treatment for it.
The response relies on tracking down and isolating potential cases to stop the spread. But officials say efforts are weeks, if not months, behind. The WHO has already declared a public health emergency of international concern.
Tedros is set to arrive in Kinshasa on Thursday before heading to Ituri province in the northeast. That’s where the first cases were reported, and where the virus has been circulating for weeks.
Doctors on the ground are dealing with a shortage of supplies. On top of that, they’re facing attacks on their facilities. Denial of the disease is still an issue among some communities in Congo.
So far, there have been 1,077 suspected cases, with 121 confirmed, according to the latest WHO figures. There have been 246 suspected deaths from Ebola and 17 confirmed fatalities. But health experts warn the real numbers are likely much higher.
On Thursday, the WHO said it was scaling up testing in Congo in partnership with the country’s national medical research organisation.
MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, said it had shipped just under five tonnes of medical cargo to Ituri on Thursday. It’s the latest in a series of flights delivering supplies.
Still, three humanitarian officials involved in the response say flight restrictions in and out of Bunia, Ituri’s capital, are getting in the way. One official said the transport ministry had promised ad hoc exemptions for aid workers but wasn’t actually processing them.
The Congolese government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the flight restrictions.
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