On May 15, the Democratic Republic of Congo declared an Ebola outbreak in Ituri province. On June 19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that prolonged conflict in the east is causing a 'catastrophic collision' between disease and war, with the virus spreading far faster than the capacity to respond.
WHO has recorded at least 10 confirmed Ebola deaths and 220 suspected fatalities since mid-May, along with 900 suspected cases. The UN health agency believes actual transmission may be far more extensive.
Tedros said the currently circulating Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in Congo has no approved vaccine or treatment. 'Halting Ebola transmission depends entirely on humanitarian access,' he stated.
The security situation in eastern Congo, where three decades of conflict have spawned numerous armed groups, is a major barrier. State services have been absent for decades in the rural areas of Ituri province.
'Fighting is causing mass displacement, pushing contacts into overcrowded camps, and cutting key isolation corridors. Frontline workers are risking their lives, while attacks on health facilities make case tracking and contact tracing nearly impossible,' Tedros wrote.
'We cannot build community trust or isolate patients when bombs are still falling,' he stressed, calling for an immediate ceasefire from all parties to allow safe access for health teams.
Earlier, the Africa health agency said ten countries – Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Zambia – face the risk of an Ebola outbreak. WHO assesses the global risk as low but is monitoring closely due to case numbers, infections among health workers, and an outbreak in an urban area.
