WHO chief is confident Ebola outbreak in DR Congo can be stopped

The head of the World Health Organization, speaking in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, said he believed the Ebola outbreak can be stopped.

"The DRC has faced Ebola before, 16 times, and has ended every outbreak. This is the 17th. That history gives me real confidence," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He was speaking during a news conference in the eastern Ituri Province, epicentre of the current outbreak, alongside the country's health minister.

Health teams are racing to contain the emergency that has spread across several provinces in the Congo and into neighbouring Uganda.

During his visit to the country, Tedros has called for more international support for the response, saying the WHO had so far received only a third of its funding requirements.

“I had already met the prime minister yesterday, and they have already allocated $20 million. And they are mobilising, and under their leadership, with the support from all partners, we believe that we can stop it.”

Ebola is transmitted through close contact and bodily fluids. This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.

But he said “this is not without hope”.

“Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus can be survived with good medical care, and some people here in Ituri have already recovered. Seeking care early makes a real difference,” he said.

Tedros stressed the importance of building community trust and ensuring safe burials to prevent the spread of the haemorrhagic fever.

“Certain practices, including touching the bodies of those who have died from Ebola, can spread the virus further. While we grieve for those we have lost, we must do everything we can so that we do not lose another,” he said.

The WHO and partners are also pursuing clinical trials aimed at developing vaccines and treatments for the rare strain.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said a vaccine should be ready by the end of the year.

There have been at least 1,077 suspected cases of Ebola in the DRC since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, including 246 deaths.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said there have been nine confirmed infections in Uganda, including one death.

The WHO has warned, however, that true reach of the outbreak in the DRC, which is thought to have been circulating before it was detected, is likely to be much wider.