The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged communities at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to seek early treatment for suspected cases and follow safe burial practices to help contain the disease.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the appeal on Saturday during a visit to Bunia, one of the areas hardest hit by the outbreak.
Hospitals in the area have been overwhelmed by the number of patients, and not everyone is receiving care.
Tedros met with the area's military governor to assess the situation, understand local needs and determine how the WHO can help stop the disease from spreading further.
Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province in northeastern DRC, is close to the Ugandan border. Some Ebola cases reported in neighboring Uganda involved people who had traveled from the province. In response, Uganda has closed its border with the DRC, while the DRC government has restricted travel to the affected area.
The latest outbreak, declared on May 15, is the 17th in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. Over the past two weeks, more than 1,000 suspected cases and more than 230 suspected deaths have been reported. Neighboring Uganda has also reported nine confirmed cases.
WHO chief urges early treatment for suspected Ebola cases in DR Congo
WHO chief urges early treatment for suspected Ebola cases in DR Congo
