WHO health chief lands in DR Congo amid Ebola outbreak fears

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrives in Kinshasa to witness efforts against a rare Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Medical personnel face limited equipment, distrustful communities, and armed groups in a volatile region. European Union medical aid reaches Ituri province, while the United States announces additional funding, increasing its total commitment. Health workers struggle to contain the Bundibugyo virus outbreak, which has no approved treatment or vaccine. Some clinicians use expired medical masks. Reported figures include 1,077 suspected cases and 238 suspected deaths. Community anger over burial protocols has contributed to attacks on health centres, alongside displacement and food insecurity. Ghebreyesus calls for a ceasefire, saying trust cannot be built while bombs fall.

"To come here is to really show to the community that they're not alone. Pushing orders from my comfortable office in Geneva is easy, but I'm asking my colleagues to work with the community and I am asking communities to protect themselves."

"Health workers with scant supplies have been struggling to contain an outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola that has no approved treatment or vaccine. In some areas, doctors have resorted to wearing expired medical masks while treating suspected patients."

"According to the WHO, 1,077 suspected cases and 238 suspected deaths have been recorded as of Tuesday. Dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for dealing with the bodies of victims, which clash with local burial rites. Residents have launched at least three attacks against health centres."

"Dr Tedros said other challenges are also complicating the containment of the outbreak, including the high number of people displaced by armed conflict in the region, and food insecurity. On Wednesday, he called for a ceasefire in a region where armed groups have staged violent attacks for decades. "We cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling," he said."

Read at Irish Independent