United Nations World Health Organization (UNHCO)Who) on Friday raised the national risk assessment for the DRC to “very high” – although the global risk remains “low”.
So far, 82 cases and seven deaths have been confirmed in the DRC, but WHO says the true scale of the outbreak is likely much larger, with about 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths recorded.
outbreak It is unfolding amid intense fighting, large-scale displacement and deep distrust of outside authorities, rumors and misinformation.
Angry relatives set fire to a hospital in Ituri province on Thursday after authorities refused to hand over the body of a deceased family member over fear of infection, according to reports.
How is the UN system responding
- WHO raises Ebola risk in DRC to “very high”; Regional risks remain “high” and global risks remain “low”.
- WHO deployed 22 international staff; UNICEF sent emergency response team to Bunia.
- Health teams support contact tracing, treatment centres, risk communication and community engagement.
- UN relief chief allocates up to $60 million for response in DRC and neighboring countries; WHO released $3.9 million
- WHO and Africa CDC established a continental incident management support team.
- MONUSCO airlifts approximately 30 tonnes of emergency supplies – including medicines, tents and protective equipment.
- The UN peacekeeping mission also operates an air bridge and deploys vehicles to strengthen logistics.
- WHO and partners are preparing clinical trials for experimental Ebola treatments and potential vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain.
- Red Cross volunteers conduct door-to-door awareness campaigns and mobilize teams for safe and dignified funerals.
Read more at outbreak here and about ebola symptoms And prevention here.
two cases in uganda
Two cases linked to travel from the DRC have been confirmed in Uganda, including one death.
Two US citizens – including a doctor and another person described as a “high-risk contact” – have been transferred to Europe for treatment or monitoring.
This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. Only two previous outbreaks of this strain have been recorded – in Uganda in 2007 and in the DRC in 2012.
Conflict complicates response
The outbreak is spreading in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, areas long affected by armed violence and humanitarian crisis.
“In both provinces, approximately four million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, two million are displaced and ten million are facing severe hunger.Tedros said.
Fighting has intensified in recent months, displacing more than 100,000 people and disrupting health operations.
Emergency $60 million allocated
Also on Friday, UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher announced an allocation of up to $60 million from the organization Central Emergency Response Fund To support the response in the DRC and neighboring countries.
“These are difficult operating environments for lifesaving operations,” Mr Fletcher said. “We face conflict and high population movement.”
He stressed the importance of ensuring access to frontline responders, including in areas controlled by armed groups. “It is important that there is no disruption,” he said.
Ituri province (pictured) in eastern DR Congo is one of the worst affected areas.
Accused of ‘fabricating’ Ebola
Aid agencies stressed that misinformation and mistrust could undermine efforts to contain the outbreak.
Gabriela Arenas of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said many communities were still in shock from the previous Ebola epidemic.
“They remember the fear. He remembers the rumors spreading in the villages,“They remember neighbors disappearing into treatment centres,” he told reporters in Geneva from Nairobi.
While many residents are seeking information and treatment, others still believe “Ebola is a fabrication,” he said.
IFRC said Red Cross volunteers were already going door-to-door in affected areas to share information and support safe and dignified burials.
“During an Ebola outbreak, trust and community acceptance could mean the difference between prevention and widespread transmission,Ms. Arenas said.
Women are most at risk
Agencies warn that the social dynamics that fuel transmission could disproportionately affect women, as happened in previous Ebola outbreaks.
“First of all, women are more likely to get infectedSophia Coltorp said, un womenHead of Humanitarian Action.
During the 2018–2019 Ebola outbreak in the DRC, nearly two-thirds of reported cases were women and girls.
“This is because Ebola transmission follows social realities,” Ms Coltorp said. “This virus spreads through caregiving, domestic labour, frontline health work and burial practices.”
She said pregnant women face particular risks, while quarantine could increase gender-based violence.
A WHO staffer at the agency’s response center in Nairobi prepares emergency supplies for air transport to areas affected by the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.
Prevention efforts have intensified
WHO said it has deployed 22 international staff to the region and released $3.9 million from its contingency fundWhile a continental incident management team was being established with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency and its partners are also accelerating work on experimental vaccines and therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain.
Tedros said WHO’s research advisory group had recommended prioritizing two monoclonal antibodies for clinical trials, along with testing the antiviral drug obeldesivir for high-risk contacts.
He also underlined the importance of restoring confidence.
“Building trust in affected communities is critical to a successful response, and is one of our top priorities.” He said.
