WHO Director Visits Congo as Ebola Cases Near 4,000

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus touched down in Kinshasa on Tuesday night for a second visit aimed at strengthening the fight against the continent's fastest-expanding Ebola outbreak. He is slated to confer with health partners and President Félix Tshisekedi as confirmed infections approach 4,000, with the Ministry of Health reporting 3,874 cases and 1,751 deaths. The epidemic, driven by the Bundibugyo virus, remains unprecedented in transmission speed and is only surpassed by the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis.

Most recent cases are emerging beyond the list of monitored contacts, particularly in Ituri province, where rebel activity restricts access to many communities. Health personnel have protested unpaid wages, though some have recently received stipends. Africa Centers for Disease Control Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, visiting Bunia, highlighted that 60-70% of new infections are outside contact lists, urging innovative tracing methods. The health ministry noted 77 new cases in the last day, including 44 deaths, while 717 patients stay in isolation and 749 have recovered.