Congo Ebola outbreak ‘global emergency’ as infections pass 5,000: WHO

What the report says

The World Health Organization says the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains a global health emergency after the number of reported infections passed 5,000. Following an emergency meeting, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged international support for containment efforts, saying the outbreak is still not under control. The agency also said the crisis has caused more than 2,320 deaths, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.

Al Jazeera reported that the current outbreak is the DRC’s 17th and is spreading with unusual concern because there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain involved. Officials said the response has been complicated by conflict, misinformation, distrust of health workers and local cultural practices. WHO warned that new chains of transmission are still being identified, and that breaking those chains is essential to stopping the spread.

The outbreak was declared on May 17, but genetic sequencing suggests transmission began months earlier, in February. WHO said it is expanding community engagement, including work with motorbike riders who are often involved in transporting patients and bodies. The article also noted that experimental vaccine work is under way, with doses manufactured and ready if trials succeed. In general, Ebola outbreaks in conflict-affected areas can be harder to trace and contain because surveillance and public health access are limited.