The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo poses a high risk at both national and regional levels, although the global threat remains low.
Speaking on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak has already recorded 51 confirmed cases in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. However, health officials believe the actual scale of the outbreak could be much larger.
Uganda has also confirmed two Ebola cases in Kampala, including one death, while a US national who tested positive in the DRC has been transferred to Germany for treatment.
According to WHO, nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths are currently under investigation, with fears that the figures could rise further because the virus may have been spreading undetected for months.
Although the WHO recently declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the organisation’s emergency committee stated that the situation does not yet meet the criteria for a global pandemic.
WHO officials said efforts are now focused on contact tracing, isolating infected persons, and stopping further transmission.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised the WHO’s response, claiming the organisation reacted too slowly to the outbreak.
Tedros, however, defended the agency, stating that WHO works in support of national governments during health emergencies rather than replacing them.
