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GENEVA (AFP) — The WHO’s chief pledged to do “everything in my power” to help conquer a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as he headed to the African nation on Thursday.
In lengthy message to the Congolese people, the World Health Organization’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted that “together, we will overcome this outbreak.”
According to its latest figures, up to May 24, the WHO has recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15, out of more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases.
The WHO has warned that the true spread of the outbreak, thought to have circulated under the radar for some time, is likely much wider.
“I want to be with you in these moments. And I want you to know that you are not alone,” Tedros said in the message posted on X, having earlier said he was on his way to Congo.
“Ebola is now back. This time, the outbreak is hitting Ituri province the hardest,” he said, with more than 90% of cases in the conflict-torn northeastern province. “I know how frightening that is.”
Tedros said he would be going to Ituri’s capital Bunia, “and doing everything in my power to help you. I will not be managing this from a comfortable office far away.”
‘Declare a ceasefire’
The U.N. health agency’s chief said the affected areas were already dealing with malaria, hunger, insecurity and now Ebola. “It is not fair, and I will not pretend otherwise,” he said.
According to Tedros, the Ebola response would be built on Ituri’s in-built resilience.
“We do not come to Ituri with only medicine and expertise. We come to join a community that already knows how to fight for its survival,” he said.
Tedros fears insecurity in the eastern Congo, which has been plagued by conflict for three decades, is making it harder to contain the outbreak.
He urged the warring factions to give health workers the space to save lives.
“Conflict and displacement make everything harder,” he said. “I am making a direct appeal to all warring parties in this region: please, declare a ceasefire. People are dying from Ebola who do not have to die. Children are sick. Families are suffering. No cause, no conflict, no grievance is worth condemning innocent people to death from a preventable disease.”
Fear and silence
No vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the current outbreak.
However, Tedros said the spread of the virus could still be prevented by early care in treatment centers.
And he vowed that the authorities would help ensure loved ones are buried in dignity and safety.
He urged young people to help break “the fear and the silence that allow this virus to spread.”
Tedros said he was no stranger to Ebola outbreaks in Congo, recalling that from 2018 to 2020, he visited North Kivu province — the epicenter of that outbreak — 14 times.
In that crisis, “trust grew slowly, then more quickly. People came forward. And together, we managed to contain the outbreak,” he said.
This is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the vast central African country of more than 100 million people.
“Together, you have overcome every single one before,” said Tedros. “We will get through this one too.”
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By ROBIN MILLARD Agence France-Presse
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