'WHO': Ebola outbreak in Congo is the fastest-spreading... 6,000 cases and 3,000 deaths

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern on Wednesday over the rapid spread of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, describing it as “the second-largest outbreak ever recorded and the fastest-spreading to date.”

Speaking at a press conference, Ghebreyesus said that 6,000 cases had been recorded across six provinces in a vast geographic area, with the death toll reaching 3,000 so far.

He added that Ituri Province remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for 85% of infections and 88% of Ebola-related deaths.

He voiced concern that most deaths continue to occur within local communities rather than in treatment centers, and that burials are not being conducted safely, factors that contribute to further transmission of the virus.

Ghebreyesus emphasized that the Ebola outbreak cannot be separated from the humanitarian context in the region, which has suffered for decades from conflict, displacement, poverty, and hunger. He noted that the epidemic is not the only health threat facing the population, given the concurrent spread of diarrheal diseases, malaria, and malnutrition.

He pointed out that the World Health Organization is operating under the leadership of the Congolese government and in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other entities, adding that the organization has dispatched more than 330 tons of emergency aid and deployed over 300 experts to combat the Ebola virus.