The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, raising concerns that the situation could deteriorate further in the coming weeks. Speaking during a virtual meeting of the African Union, Dr. Tedros said delays in detecting Ebola infections had hindered response efforts, leaving health authorities struggling to keep pace with the outbreak. “We are playing catch-up,” he said, adding that the epidemic was likely to worsen before improvements are seen.
According to the WHO chief, the number of suspected Ebola-related deaths has risen to 220, underscoring the scale of the public health challenge facing affected communities. Dr. Tedros announced that he would travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the centre of the outbreak, alongside WHO emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu to assess the situation and support ongoing response measures. The warning came as Uganda confirmed two additional Ebola infections on Monday, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to seven.
Dr. Tedros also cautioned that countries sharing borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo remain at significant risk of recording cases. The WHO has already designated the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola as a public health emergency of international concern. Health officials say efforts to contain the disease have been complicated by insecurity in the Congolese provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where armed violence has disrupted humanitarian operations.
Authorities are also facing challenges because there are currently no approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain. Medical workers responding to the outbreak have reported increasing difficulties on the ground.
In addition to shortages of essential medical supplies, some health facilities have come under attack, while patients have reportedly fled treatment centres amid growing fears and misinformation about the disease. At least three security incidents have been recorded in Ituri Province, where the first cases were identified. Two of the incidents occurred over the weekend and targeted the same hospital, resulting in more than two dozen patients leaving the facility. The attacks have drawn comparisons with the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, during which violence against health facilities and personnel hampered response efforts and contributed to the deaths of more than 25 health workers.
Observers say public mistrust remains a major obstacle to containment efforts. During previous outbreaks, some residents resisted public health measures because they wanted to recover the bodies of relatives for burial or doubted the existence of the disease.
Officials believe similar sentiments are emerging in some affected communities. Dr. Richard Lokodu, Medical Director of Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, which was attacked twice over the weekend, said misinformation and scepticism continue to undermine efforts to control the outbreak. “There is denial of the disease within the population, with some members wanting to claim the bodies of suspected and/or confirmed cases,” he said. Health authorities continue to urge communities to cooperate with response teams as efforts intensify to prevent further spread of the virus across the region.