The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified more than 900 suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as authorities intensify surveillance and emergency response efforts amid worsening insecurity in the region.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the outbreak has so far resulted in 101 confirmed Ebola cases, raising concerns over the spread of the deadly virus in conflict-affected areas.
Tedros stated that the outbreak’s epicentre lies in Ituri province, where nearly five million people continue to face severe humanitarian challenges due to ongoing violence and displacement.
According to the WHO chief, one in four people in the region requires humanitarian assistance, while one in five has been internally displaced by conflict. He warned that escalating violence is forcing residents, healthcare workers and humanitarian staff to flee affected areas, significantly disrupting efforts to trace contacts and identify infections at an early stage.
Tedros added that insecurity and fear within communities have also fuelled mistrust, making it more difficult for health teams to contain the outbreak effectively.
Despite these challenges, WHO and its humanitarian partners continue to operate across Ituri province, including in remote and highly insecure areas.
Tedros stressed that providing broader healthcare support alongside Ebola treatment remains essential to building public trust and ensuring an effective response to the outbreak.
The WHO recently declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency and raised the DRC’s national risk level to ‘very high’.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
Since its discovery in 1976, the virus has caused several deadly outbreaks, including the massive 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic.
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