AMN/ WEB DESK
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was very complex, with conflict, insecurity, displacement, food shortages and community mistrust complicating efforts to contain the disease. Speaking to reporters at the airport upon arriving in the DRC capital of Kinshasa, Tedros said he had come to show affected communities that they are not alone and that the WHO was there to support the response.
WHO teams are already working on the ground in Bunia, the capital of the eastern Ituri province, he said, adding that he would travel there today to assess the situation. More than 1,000 suspected cases and 238 suspected deaths have been reported as the latest outbreak continues to spread across the DR Congo’s eastern provinces, according to a situation report released on Wednesday by the country’s Ministry of Health. The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, while the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later declared a continental public health security emergency.