WHO chief concerned at speed and scale of Ebola outbreak

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern on Tuesday over the rapid spread and severity of the ongoing Ebola outbreak, as new case numbers continue to rise across affected regions.

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, there have been at least 500 suspected cases and around 130 suspected deaths since the outbreak began. Later reports raised the death toll to 131 fatalities linked to the outbreak in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Health authorities also reported 516 suspected cases and 33 confirmed infections in the DRC, along with two confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda.

Tedros told delegates at the World Health Assembly in Geneva that the figures are expected to change as response operations expand, including intensified surveillance, contact tracing, and laboratory testing.

“I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the outbreak,” he said, noting that the situation remains highly dynamic.

The WHO said its Emergency Committee will meet later on Tuesday to assess the outbreak and provide technical recommendations. The committee is composed of international experts who advise the WHO Director-General on whether a public health emergency should be declared and what response measures are needed.

Officials warned that several factors are increasing the risk of further spread, including cases detected in urban centers such as Goma in the DRC and Kampala in Uganda, as well as ongoing insecurity in conflict-affected areas like Ituri province.

Health authorities also noted infections among healthcare workers, raising concerns about possible transmission within medical facilities.

In response, the WHO has released $3.9 million in emergency funding to support national health authorities in containing the outbreak and strengthening response efforts. -Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Linda Pasquini and Thomas Seythal and Timothy Heritage/Reuters