Trust from communities on the front lines will determine whether health officials can rein in a fast-moving Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned, underscoring that public cooperation is as vital as medical expertise in crises like this.
Speaking in Bunia, the outbreak’s epicentre, Tedros stressed the need to listen to local voices and promote early treatment as response teams confront the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Building rapport with residents, he noted, can speed care-seeking and help isolate cases sooner—key steps in interrupting transmission.
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Authorities in the DR Congo have logged more than 900 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths, with confirmed infections also reported in Uganda. WHO and its partners are scaling up the response by boosting testing capacity and supporting healthcare services, while urging communities to stay alert and seek medical attention promptly at the first sign of symptoms.
