The World Health Organization has once again raised the alarm over the worsening Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the epidemic, according to its leadership, remains out of control and poses a real risk of spreading beyond the country’s borders.
WHO warning over an escalating situation
Opening the meeting of the Emergency Committee on Ebola, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak of the Budibugio strain of the virus, declared three months ago a public health emergency of international concern, has spread rapidly.
According to his statement, the risk of further spread within the country and internationally remains high, showing that the alert declared in May has still not brought effective control of the situation on the ground.
Current toll: thousands infected, more than 2,300 dead
According to authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the latest toll stands at around 5,000 infected people and more than 2,300 deaths.
Cases have been reported in six provinces and 55 health zones, turning the outbreak into a broad crisis that is putting heavy pressure on an already fragile health system.
Delays and state weakness in affected areas
Congolese authorities declared the country’s 17th Ebola epidemic on May 15, after a delay of several weeks. This delay raises serious questions about the speed of the institutional response in the face of a virus with severe consequences.
The outbreak has been concentrated in the northern and eastern regions, where the state’s presence remains weak, health infrastructure is insufficient, and response capacities have been overwhelmed by the rise in cases.
What is expected from the Emergency Committee
This is the second time the WHO Emergency Committee has met since the international emergency was declared on May 17.
WHO has not yet announced when the new recommendations will be published. However, given that the organization itself describes the epidemic as uncontrolled, lifting the alert appears impossible, while additional measures and a review of the risk level may be on the table.
How the current risk is being assessed
At present, WHO considers the public health risk “very high” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and “high” in Uganda and other countries bordering Congo.
For the rest of Africa and for the world, the risk level is assessed as “low,” but the latest warning shows that the situation remains sensitive and dependent on the real ability to contain the spread in the hardest-hit areas.
WHO’s statement makes clear that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is not under control, despite the international alert declared months ago.
In a setting marked by weak state presence and insufficient infrastructure, the risk does not remain merely local, but represents a serious test for the regional and international response to an epidemic that continues to expand.