Geneva, Switzerland. The World Health Organization said on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with the latest number of suspected deaths at 220.
Response efforts
Addressing an online meeting of the African Union, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a delay in detecting Ebola cases meant responders were now “playing catch-up” and the epidemic was likely to get worse before it gets better.
Regional spread
Tedros said he would travel to Congo, the epicentre of the outbreak, on Tuesday with Chikwe Ihekweazu, a senior WHO official responsible for addressing health emergencies.
Earlier on Monday, neighbouring Uganda reported two more Ebola cases, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to seven. Tedros said other countries bordering Congo were at high risk and should take immediate action.
WHO warning
The WHO has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a public health emergency of international concern.
Tedros said containing the outbreak was complicated by the fact that Congo’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces were highly insecure and there were no approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus.