Kathmandu— The World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Wednesday to address the escalating Ebola outbreak. The 17th such outbreak in DRC’s history is already the fastest-spreading and second-most deadly on record, with new cases doubling in some hotspots over the past week alone.

Tedros' Urgent Call for Action

During his visit, Tedros emphasized the need to urgently scale up response efforts across all pillars of the health system. He met with health and humanitarian partners to discuss challenges faced in containing the outbreak. 'We must reach every affected community despite insecurity and displacement,' he stated, highlighting the importance of strengthening coordination under government leadership and ensuring that health workers have adequate protection and support.

Outbreak Statistics and International Response

As of Monday, Congo's Ministry of Health reported 3,874 confirmed cases, including 1,751 deaths. The vast majority of these cases are concentrated in the eastern province of Ituri bordering Uganda. In response to the crisis, the US State Department pledged an additional $242 million for immediate response and preparedness efforts related to the outbreak.

Challenges on the Ground

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders warned that the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is spreading at an alarming rate in remote areas with poor infrastructure. Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, noted that contact tracing efforts are not working effectively and many cases are being detected late, reducing survival chances. Local funeral practices have also contributed to the virus's spread.

(With inputs from DW)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.