The World Health Organization says efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are beginning to catch up with the spread of the disease….reports Africa Daily News Desk
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is making progress, with health authorities gradually catching up after the disease gained an early foothold across several provinces.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday after returning from a visit to the DRC, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was encouraged by the commitment shown by health workers, government officials and communities involved in the response effort.
“What I saw gave me hope, although challenges remain,” Tedros said.
According to WHO figures, the DRC has recorded 344 confirmed Ebola cases, including 60 deaths, across 24 health zones in three provinces. Health authorities have also significantly reduced the number of suspected cases, which fell to 116 from more than 1,000 reported a week earlier.
Tedros said the WHO’s risk assessment remains unchanged, with the outbreak considered very high risk nationally, high risk regionally and low risk globally.
“The outbreak had a big head start, and we’re still behind, but under the leadership of the Government of DRC, we are catching up,” he said.
Despite signs of progress, WHO officials highlighted several obstacles that continue to hamper containment efforts. These include limited laboratory and diagnostic capacity, delays in confirming cases, difficulties in tracing contacts, and travel restrictions that are disrupting supply chains and slowing the delivery of medical assistance.
Community mistrust remains another major challenge, while the outbreak is further complicated by the fact that there are currently no licensed vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus responsible for the outbreak.
In a positive development, a patient infected with Ebola was discharged from hospital in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, after being declared recovered by medical teams.
The patient’s recovery brought relief to family members, who said they had endured days of uncertainty during treatment.
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The DRC government reported earlier this week that six Ebola patients have recovered so far, while the country continues to battle 344 confirmed cases and 60 deaths.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said response efforts in North Kivu are being built around systems developed during previous Ebola epidemics. An 80-bed Ebola treatment centre has been established in Goma, where the first patients have already been admitted.
The response is taking place under difficult security conditions. Goma, one of eastern Congo’s largest cities, has been under the control of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group since early 2025, while access to several parts of North Kivu remains restricted due to ongoing insecurity.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Yakub Janabi said the organisation has maintained its presence in the Kivu region despite the security challenges.
“We have never left Kivu,” Janabi said when asked about access to North Kivu and Goma.
The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.
Health officials continue to urge international support and enhanced surveillance efforts as authorities work to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread across the region.
