Written by: Badr Ahmed

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, in a field visit that comes amid an Ebola outbreak in an area that has been one of the hardest hit by the epidemic in recent weeks.

Bunya is located in the heart of the affected region, where health authorities are recording a rapid spread of the disease despite a relative improvement in the health infrastructure and the arrival of additional medical aid.

Ebola is back in the spotlight

During the visit, Tedros is scheduled to inspect treatment centers for those infected, as well as meet with local authorities, healthcare workers, and families affected by the outbreak. This tour is part of efforts to coordinate the international response and strengthen containment capabilities in the affected areas.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Friday evening that the best way to deal with the situation is to provide all necessary support to combat the disease where it is spreading, while continuing to provide all forms of assistance required. He added that the organization is working to support the field response to limit the spread of the virus.

According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths have been recorded as related to the virus, reflecting the continued severity of the epidemiological situation in the region. On Friday, the Ministry of Health in neighboring Uganda confirmed nine cases and one death, indicating cross-border transmission.

The virus causing the current outbreak is known as the Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola virus. It is one of the rare strains for which there is still no approved treatment or licensed vaccine, further complicating control and containment efforts.

In a related context, Tedros, following his meeting with the Prime Minister of Congo, Judith Suminua Toloka, stressed his confidence in the country’s ability to control the outbreak, based on its previous experience in dealing with repeated Ebola epidemics, despite the complex field and health challenges facing the current situation.

With the support of international partners, health authorities in Congo continue to implement measures that include contact tracing, strengthening isolation centers, and raising the level of rapid response in the most affected areas, in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus and contain outbreaks as soon as possible.