WHO leader arrives in Congo, affirms Ebola outbreak can be controlled.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the Democratic Republic of Congo amid the continuing spread of the Ebola epidemic, and called on armed groups to cease fire to facilitate disease control efforts.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Photo: AFP/VNA

According to the WHO, the mortality rate in the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo ranges from 30% to 50% for confirmed cases. Speaking in Geneva, Anaïs Legand of the WHO's High Danger Pathogens Task Force said this figure illustrates the severity of the outbreak, with "up to 5 in 10 infected people at risk of dying."

The WHO has reported 10 confirmed Ebola deaths and 223 suspected cases since the outbreak was announced on May 15. The total number of confirmed and suspected cases has now exceeded 1,000.

However, the agency also announced that the first patient had recovered and been discharged from the hospital on May 27 after two negative tests for the Ebola virus.

According to The Guardian, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Kinshasa on May 28 before traveling to Ituri province in northeastern Congo, the epicenter of the current outbreak.

He asserted that the pandemic could be contained if the international community and stakeholders acted in coordination. The WHO leader also opposed travel bans, arguing that such measures were not very effective.

"Together we will get through this outbreak," Tedros stressed, pledging that WHO will do everything possible to support Congo in controlling the disease.

The WHO is concerned that the actual scale of the outbreak may be significantly larger because the virus may have been silently spreading in the community for some time before being detected.

This Ebola outbreak is occurring in a mineral-rich region of eastern Congo, where numerous armed groups operate and fighting is ongoing. Tedros believes that the conflict and constant displacement of people are making disease control efforts extremely difficult.

"I call directly on all warring parties in this region to declare a ceasefire. No cause or conflict is worth innocent people dying from a preventable disease," he said.

The United Nations refugee agency says more than 245,000 people have fled eastern Congo to neighboring countries since the beginning of 2025. Among the forces operating there is the M23 group, which is allegedly backed by Rwanda.

Amid concerns about the spread of the disease, Uganda – Congo's neighbor – announced the closure of its border with Congo after recording one death and eight additional cases of Ebola.

The WHO warns that closing borders could lead people to attempt to cross illegally, increasing the risk of transmission and making epidemiological surveillance more difficult.

Meanwhile in Kenya, the Supreme Court has temporarily suspended plans to build an Ebola isolation and treatment facility for American citizens. Previously, Washington had planned to establish a 50-bed center at an air base in Kenya to accommodate Americans infected with or at risk of Ebola.

The human rights group Katiba Institute filed a lawsuit, arguing that the plan raises numerous constitutional issues related to the right to life, the right to healthcare, and the oversight responsibilities of the Kenyan parliament.

Kenyan health officials also warned that the country's already overloaded healthcare system could face even greater pressure if the plan is implemented.

The WHO has identified the virus strain causing this outbreak as Bundibugyo – a variant of Ebola for which there is currently no officially approved treatment. However, WHO advisory groups have recommended launching clinical trials for vaccines and new treatments.

Jean Kaseya, head of the African Union's health agency, said a vaccine against this strain of the virus could be ready by the end of this year.

Ebola is a dangerous infectious disease transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the virus. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and sore throat, which can then progress to vomiting, diarrhea, and liver and kidney damage.

Over the past 50 years, Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa. The most severe outbreak in Congo between 2018 and 2020 claimed the lives of nearly 2,300 people out of approximately 3,500 cases.

The WHO said it had received 4.6 tons of aid at Bunia airport, the capital of Ituri province, while UNICEF expects to deliver an additional 100 tons of supplies to support the affected area.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/lanh-dao-who-den-congo-khang-dinh-co-the-kiem-soat-dich-ebola-169260529214701633.htm