- 51 confirmed Ebola cases have so far been recorded in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu
- Tedros also revealed that neighbouring Uganda had confirmed two cases in Kampala
- He warned that several factors continue to raise concerns about the possibility of wider transmission
The World Health Organisation has classified the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a high-risk health threat at both national and regional levels, while maintaining that the global risk remains low.
Eko Hot Blog reports that WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus disclosed this on Wednesday, noting that investigations into the origin of the outbreak were still ongoing, although preliminary findings suggest the virus may have been spreading in eastern DRC for several months before detection.
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According to him, 51 confirmed Ebola cases have so far been recorded in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, though authorities believe the actual scale of the outbreak could be significantly higher.
Tedros also revealed that neighbouring Uganda had confirmed two cases in Kampala, including one fatality, while a United States citizen working in the DRC tested positive and was later transferred to Germany for treatment.
He warned that several factors continue to raise concerns about the possibility of wider transmission and additional fatalities.
Beyond the confirmed infections, the WHO said nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths have been identified, with expectations that the figures may rise as investigations continue.
Despite the growing numbers, the agency stated that the outbreak has not reached the threshold required to classify it as a pandemic emergency.
The WHO emergency committee, which met on Tuesday to review the situation, concluded that while the outbreak qualifies as a public health emergency of international concern under International Health Regulations, it does not currently meet the criteria for a pandemic declaration.
Speaking on the outbreak, WHO technical officer for viral haemorrhagic fevers, Anais Legand, said efforts were focused on tracing contacts, isolating suspected infections and strengthening treatment measures to stop further spread.
She added that the timeline of infections suggests the virus had likely been circulating undetected for months before health authorities identified the outbreak.
The development comes after WHO officially declared the Ebola situation a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, triggering heightened preparedness measures in countries worldwide.
Responding to criticism from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed the agency was slow in detecting the outbreak, Tedros defended WHO’s role, explaining that the organisation supports countries in responding to health emergencies rather than directly replacing national authorities in outbreak management.
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