Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed serious concerns about the escalating Ebola outbreak in Africa. An Ethiopian official confirmed late Monday that the outbreak is progressing faster than current response measures, putting neighboring countries, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at significant risk.
“We are urgently scaling up our operations, but the pace of infection is currently outpacing us,” Tedros emphasized, urging neighboring nations to take swift action.
During an online conference with the African Union regarding the infection’s spread, he also revealed plans for a visit to the DRC on Tuesday, accompanied by Chikwe Ihekwazu, director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program. The ongoing outbreak has reportedly led to 220 suspected deaths.
This announcement follows instances of residents attacking health facilities in Ituri state, which is the outbreak’s center, thereby complicating the response efforts.
Earlier this month, after observing over 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths in the DRC, Tedros labeled the situation a “public health emergency of international concern.” Additionally, two fatalities have been reported in Uganda.
On Monday, Uganda reported two more Ebola cases, increasing the total confirmed cases in the country to seven. According to the Ministry of Health, both new cases involve Ugandan health workers at private facilities in Kampala.
As previously noted, the rapid spread of the virus coincides with the development of a vaccine aimed at containing a severe variant. This vaccine is being created by British scientists using the same technology employed in the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Ebola, first identified in 1976 in the DRC, is believed to have been transmitted by bats. This disease is rare but highly contagious, primarily spread through bodily fluids, and can often be fatal. Symptoms can vary, but typically include high fever, extreme fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and bleeding.
