Who director-general visits drc amidst intensifying ebola outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) had previously raised an alarm about the escalating Ebola outbreak, highlighting its “exceptional pace of intensification” and calling for a robust scale-up of the health response. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported a total of 3,874 confirmed cases and 1,751 deaths since the current epidemic began. This marks a concerning surge, though the nation’s deadliest recorded outbreak, between 2018 and 2020, claimed nearly 2,300 lives among 3,500 reported cases.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, on Tuesday. He was scheduled to hold discussions with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi on Wednesday, as confirmed by a WHO representative in Kinshasa, without providing further details on the agenda.

Dr. Ghebreyesus had previously visited Ituri in the northeastern part of the country in late May, which remains the epicenter of the current epidemic, accounting for nearly 90% of all reported cases. This particular outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo variant, for which no vaccine or specific treatment is currently available. The disease is ravaging regions where state presence is notably fragile, and health infrastructure is severely lacking.

“The epidemic, regrettably, continues to spread at a pace that overwhelms our response capabilities,” stated Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson, during a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. He emphasized the urgent need for “additional financial support” and resources to bolster crucial areas such as “treatment capacities, field investigation teams, and safe burial teams.”

Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, has claimed over 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades. The ongoing epidemic has expanded its reach over the last two months, affecting five provinces within the DRC: Ituri, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo.

On Tuesday, Canada granted authorization to the American pharmaceutical giant Moderna to commence clinical trials for a vaccine specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Furthermore, a vaccine identified by the WHO as “the most promising,” known as “rVSV Bundibugyo,” is also slated for development by Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories.

In late July, the first volunteer received a dose of another Bundibugyo vaccine, developed by Oxford University in the United Kingdom, which utilizes technology similar to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. Several other initiatives are also actively pursuing rapid testing for treatments against the Bundibugyo strain, including the antiviral medications remdesivir and obeldesivir, alongside a monoclonal antibody designated MBP134.

The DRC officially declared its 17th Ebola epidemic on May 15, following several weeks of delay, impacting its vast territory home to over 100 million people.