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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday (local time) visited Bunia in eastern Congo, a city at the centre of an outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola.
WHO chief seeks community support
In Bunia, the virus is spreading faster than the response, despite better-organized health facilities and the arrival of new aid, PTI reported. Tedros stressed the importance of building community trust and ensuring safe burials to curb the spread of the outbreak. He also urged nations to reconsider travel bans and border closures, saying such measures discourage transparency.
His remarks came as several countries announced travel restrictions amid the outbreak. Apart from the US, Canada, the Bahamas, Jordan, and Bahrain have also imposed travel bans.
During a news conference alongside Congo's health minister, the WHO Director-General said, "The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced Ebola before, 16 times, and has ended every outbreak. This is the 17th. That history gives me real confidence."
He added, "We are not here to tell people what to do; we are here to listen. Building trust takes time, and it starts with listening."
The WHO chief further noted, "I understand how painful it is to lose someone, and how much it means to honor them properly, but certain practices, including touching the bodies of those who have died from Ebola, can spread the virus further."
On Friday, the health organization said the latest official figures showed 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths. Neighbouring Uganda has also reported nine cases and one death, according to the Ugandan Health Ministry.
The Bundibugyo virus, the current species of Ebola involved in the outbreak, has no approved treatment or vaccine.
Medical aid arrives in Bunia
On Thursday, medical aid from the European Union arrived in Bunia, located in Ituri province. Reports suggest that more shipments are expected in the coming days. Earlier this week, the US announced an additional $80 million in aid, bringing its total commitment to more than $112 million.
Response efforts at Bunia's Rwampara and General hospitals appeared more organized, with additional staff, protective gear, and medical supplies, although patients continue to arrive around the clock, according to an Associated Press reporter.
However, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Saturday that the response has not kept pace with one of the fastest-spreading outbreaks on record. In a statement, MSF Deputy Director of Operations Alan Gonzalez said, "Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration."
Gonzalez also called for an immediate expansion of testing, faster deployment of aid workers, and sustained access to medical supplies.
US sets up quarantine facility in DRC
Earlier this week, NBC News reported that US President Donald Trump's administration is setting up a quarantine facility in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for Americans who have been exposed to the virus.
The decision to relocate Americans during the outbreak marks a shift from previous Ebola response efforts, which often involved flying exposed Americans back to Washington for quarantine or treatment.
The administration has also begun evacuating Americans from the region. Earlier this month, Peter Stafford, an American doctor who contracted Ebola in Congo, was flown to a hospital in Germany. His wife and four children, along with another doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, were sent to the Czech Republic for monitoring.
In the meantime, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has barred non-US citizens from entering the country if they have travelled to Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. US citizens are exempt from the restriction but are being directed to designated airports for additional health screening.
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