The World Health Organization (WHO) said controlling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) requires community cooperation and is “everyone’s responsibility.”
Speaking during a visit to eastern Congo on Sunday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for public solidarity after protests erupted in some areas against strict medical rules for handling the bodies of patients.
“We can stop Ebola, and those infected can recover. But the rule is that this is everyone’s responsibility, and every citizen must be involved,” Tedros said at the inauguration of a treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, the outbreak’s focal point.
Protesters complained that restrictions on handling bodies violated local burial customs, and such sentiment has been linked to at least three attacks on health facilities.
Tedros noted that no vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo virus—the current Ebola strain—but infected individuals can recover. “If you come to a health facility when you have symptoms, you will receive support and recover, so it is crucial to come as early as possible to get the necessary help.”
According to the WHO chief, five patients have recovered, and four were expected to be discharged on Sunday, following an earlier patient’s release. The organization has recorded 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in DR Congo. Neighboring Uganda has confirmed 9 cases and 1 death.
Clashes between rival armed groups in the mineral-rich Ituri region have complicated relief efforts, prompting Tedros to call for a ceasefire, saying: “No cause, conflict, or grievance justifies condemning innocent people to die from a preventable disease.”
Brazil’s health authorities reported they are monitoring two patients possibly infected with Ebola in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The São Paulo state government said a 37-year-old man from DR Congo “has symptoms such as fever, meeting the definition of a suspected case” of Ebola. Meanwhile, the Rio de Janeiro State Health Department said it activated safety protocols after a man from Uganda showed “viral symptoms like cough, chills, and diarrhea.”
This outbreak—declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO—is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo. The disease was first identified in this Central African nation in 1976 and has an average fatality rate of 50% across outbreaks.
Health officials and aid workers complain of shortages of basic supplies such as masks. European Union medical aid arrived in Ituri last week, and the United States announced an additional $80 million aid package, bringing total commitments to $112 million.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said national response systems must be quickly activated, and investment in pandemic preparedness must become permanent.
Its director general, Jean Kaseya, wrote in the Financial Times on Sunday that international support is crucial and most effective when aligned with African institutions and government strategies. “Africa’s response to Ebola must be defined by Africa itself.”
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Saturday that the disease’s spread is alarming and that the number of cases has never been recorded so quickly. MSF Deputy Director Alan Gonzalez said their teams “are witnessing a response that has not kept pace with the rapid spread of the outbreak. The reality today is that no one knows the true scale and severity of this outbreak. New suspected cases are reported daily, but hundreds of samples remain untested.”
