WHO Says DRC Ebola Outbreak 'Outpacing Us'
WHO says delayed detection, violence and no approved vaccine are slowing containment as the outbreak reaches more than 900 suspected cases.
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Monday that more than 900 suspected Ebola cases with 101 confirmed and 220 suspected deaths meant responders were "playing catch-up" as "the epidemic is outpacing us." The WHO upgraded the Democratic Republic of Congo's national risk to "very high."
- Months before the outbreak, the Trump administration slashed aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo, with US foreign assistance spending falling nearly 57 per cent after dismantling the United States Agency for International Development . Funding dropped from nearly $1.2 billion in fiscal 2024 to $67 million in the final three months of 2025.
- The International Rescue Committee reduced programming from five to two areas at the outbreak's heart after US cuts. Many health facilities lack adequate protective equipment and surveillance capacity because of "years of underinvestment and recent funding cuts," limiting early detection capabilities.
- Attacks on treatment centers are forcing health and humanitarian workers to flee, WHO Director-General Tedros wrote Sunday. Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO's representative in the DRC, said Thursday's security incident "significantly jeopardized" response operations in the hotspot area.
- Research suggests 14 million more people may die globally if aid cuts persist through 2030. Rory Stewart, who served as UK Africa minister during the 2018 Ebola outbreak, called this outbreak a "canary in the coal mine" for future problems caused by weakened pandemic preparedness.
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WHO Chief Warns That Ebola Outbreak Will Worsen
ABC News reports: The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that a rapidly growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda “will get worse before it gets better.” More than 900 cases and more than 220 deaths have been reported in the DRC, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual briefing. Of those totals, 101 cases and 10 deaths have been confirmed. Tedros’ comments come ami…
The data are based on statements by the governments of the countries concerned. Uganda confirms seven cases
Ebola: WHO says conflict, mistrust hindering response as suspected cases top 900 in DRC
The latest outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has also spread beyond the DRC, with neighbouring Uganda recording two additional confirmed cases among healthcare workers, bringing its total to seven confirmed cases and one death. The post Ebola: WHO says conflict, mistrust hindering response as suspected cases top 900 in DRC appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
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