GENEVA, Sep 2: The World Health Organization has called for an urgent expansion of efforts to contain a severe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that gaps in tracing transmission chains are complicating the response.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the international community to step up support for the response to the outbreak, which is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus.
According to the latest reports, the epidemic has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with the number of deaths exceeding 3,000. Health authorities are facing difficulties identifying and monitoring contacts of infected people, while unsafe burials are also contributing to continued transmission.
The WHO has expanded testing capabilities and delivered medical supplies to support the affected areas. However, the agency has warned that substantially greater resources are required to increase treatment capacity and strengthen field operations.
The estimated funding requirement for the wider response stands at around $1.3 billion, according to the WHO assessment cited in reports.
Treatment and vaccine research underway
Clinical trials are being conducted for two potential Ebola treatments, while the antiviral drug obeldesivir is also being studied among people considered at high risk of infection.
Research into vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain is progressing as well. Two candidate vaccines are undergoing safety trials in the United Kingdom and Canada, with efficacy studies expected to be conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo later this year.
Tedros stressed that previous Ebola outbreaks have demonstrated that coordinated international action can bring epidemics under control, making rapid mobilisation of resources crucial to the current response.