World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday that local communities must remain at the center of the response to the rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as health teams race to contain the emergency that has spread across multiple provinces and into neighboring Uganda.
Speaking to reporters after arriving in the city of Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province and the main epicenter of the outbreak, Tedros said the core strategy for epidemic prevention and control is community management under the leadership of the government, explaining that the WHO delegation is in the country to provide necessary support.
"The international community is involved under the leadership of the government of the DRC. And at the same time, community ownership is important. That's why we're here," he said.
Tedros used his visit to meet government officials, community leaders, humanitarian agencies and health partners, emphasizing that public confidence and community participation would be essential to ending transmission.
"We're here to listen. Communities understand their own challenges and their own solutions. Our role is to support you in implementing those solutions together. Community ownership is what will bring this outbreak to an end," he said.
He expressed hope to engage with women's groups, religious leaders, business representatives and young people during his visit, describing trust-building as a process that "starts with listening."
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a relatively rare strain of Ebola first identified in Uganda in 2007. While no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists, Tedros stressed that survival is possible with timely medical care.
Prior to his arrival in Bunia, the WHO chief visited Kinshasa, the DRC capital, as the country steps up its response to the fast-spreading Ebola outbreak.
On Thursday, the Africa CDC reported a total of 1,077 suspected cases and 246 probable deaths have been recorded since the DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak two weeks ago.
Uganda has also reported nine confirmed cases after detecting two new infections in the capital, Kampala, the Ugandan health ministry said on Friday.
WHO chief urges DRC communities to take lead role in containing Ebola
The 10th China-France Young Leaders Program opened in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Friday to boost bilateral friendship and technological exchanges.
The event, which will wrap up in Beijing on Monday, brings together more than 40 representatives from government, business, science and technology, culture, and the sports sector.
Under the theme of addressing transformation challenges together and advancing sustainable development, participants have been exploring people-to-people exchanges, the green economy, environmental conservation and technological innovation through in-depth discussions and field visits, including to the former site National Southwest Associated University, a local biotech firm and an international flower trading center in Kunming.
"We really want, together with all the young leaders, to discover the growth of the province over the years, and how you've been able to combine, actually, both economic development and sustainable development," said Nicolas Macquin, president and co-founder of France China Foundation.
Young representatives from both sides recognized the vitality of China's socioeconomic development and envisioned greater achievements for young people from both sides.
"If the French are doing something, but all alone in their corner, it's not gonna be such impactful. China is doing amazing things, especially in Kunming. So, it's interesting for us to come here to understand how China is doing, how it is going, and to try to understand your vision and our vision altogether to build something interesting and impactful," said Agathe Graviere, program manager of Fondation France-Asie.
"I think for the younger generation, it is important and imperative for us to be able to reach that common view in terms of how we should protect the environment. And most importantly, how we should set forward the actions and how to really take the responsibility in terms of leading the initiative forward," said Song Zihao, founder of Convoy Group, an international talent training and service platform in China.
The program was jointly established in 2013 by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the France-China Foundation, and is held annually with the two countries alternating as host.
Young leaders from China, France meet in Kunming to boost friendship
