WHO and Partners Agree on Joint Strategy to Stop Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said it had agreed on a strategy with other treatment partners to stop the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The latest Ebola outbreak in Congo has become the second largest outbreak in the world based on the number of recorded cases of infection.

According to the latest situation report from the Ministry of Health, Congo has reported 3,973 cases, including 1,801 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.

"We agree on the need to adapt the response to the speed and pattern of the outbreak, strengthen coordination under the leadership of the Congolese government, and ensure that all partners work together to implement a joint strategy to stop this outbreak," said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus through a post on the social media platform X, quoted from Anadolu (7/8).

Tedros, who arrived in Congo this week for the second time since the outbreak began, added: "We agreed on the need to strengthen collaboration in dealing with Ebola as well as broader humanitarian efforts."

WHO, together with officials from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners, held a meeting on Wednesday with Congolese leaders and partners in Kinshasa.

The meeting highlighted the importance of continuing to protect and support health workers and community workers on the front lines, including by providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and compensating for their work.

Tedros said WHO would continue to work with the Congolese government, Africa CDC, and other partners to ensure that the response was commensurate with the scale and urgency of the emergency.

It is known that this outbreak has affected 51 health zones in five provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo.

Ituri remains the main epicenter, accounting for 87.1 percent of the total cumulative cases.

According to the Africa CDC, the plan for preparedness and response to this continental Ebola outbreak requires funding of 1.4 billion US dollars.

The Director General of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, said that more than 420 million US dollars had been deployed to control the outbreak.

He added that under the leadership of the Government of the Congo, partners are intensifying early detection, contact tracing, access to quality health services, and community engagement.

Meanwhile, Congolese authorities on Wednesday intercepted a boat carrying about 200 people to the capital Kinshasa, following suspicious deaths allegedly linked to the Ebola virus, local media reported.

The ship was intercepted about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from the capital while en route from Tshopo Province, one of the Ebola-affected provinces.

The health authority stated that a mobile laboratory had been deployed to conduct examinations on all passengers on the ship.