World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has appealed to countries that have enforced travel bans or closed borders in reaction to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda to review these actions. Tedros emphasized during a press conference in Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak, that such restrictions could complicate response efforts and undermine transparency and trust crucial for saving lives. He stressed that despite the absence of approved vaccines and specific medicines, timely and quality medical care can still lead to patient recovery.
Tedros’ visit to Bunia also aimed at directly engaging with the affected communities in the outbreak, which has seen over 1000 suspected cases reported. Uganda has confirmed nine cases, with two new infections detected in Kampala. DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba expressed the country’s goal to contain and end the outbreak within “four to six months,” relying on their epidemic response experience and understanding of the Ebola virus disease. The immediate focus is on containing the virus within the affected provinces and preventing further spread.
Kamba highlighted the country’s enhanced laboratory testing capacity, noting the absence of sample backlogs. With around 900 samples tested, of which approximately 260 were positive, the country can now process all incoming samples, even if daily testing increases to 200 or 300 samples.
