WHO Chief Urges Increased Efforts in Battle Against Ebola: Global Action Needed

WHO Director-General Tedros has urged the global community to intensify efforts to combat the Ebola epidemic. The financial support for the Congolese government’s action plan must be expedited.

In the fight against the Ebola epidemic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for more commitment from the international community. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in Geneva that the $1.3 billion action plan of the Congolese government needs faster funding. The WHO has already delivered over 330 tons of aid and sent more than 300 experts to the affected areas, according to Tedros.

However, additional resources are urgently needed, such as increasing the number of beds in treatment centers. Operating a center with 1,500 beds costs $15 million a month. “We have already expanded our measures, but we need to strengthen them further,” Tedros said.

To contain the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is crucial to ensure the tracing of infection chains, he said. Many of the deceased were not on the lists of known contacts, indicating there are undiscovered transmission chains.

Tedros: Threat to the Entire Region

Another issue is that many deceased are still being buried in unsafe ways, which favors the spread of the virus. “Until every infection chain is found and interrupted, the epidemic will continue and remain a threat to the Democratic Republic of Congo, its neighbors, and the entire region,” Tedros said.

The Ebola outbreak was officially declared in mid-May. Since then, more than 3,000 people have died, according to government reports. The virus has spread to six provinces in the east and northeast of the Central African country. Many of the affected areas are plagued by armed conflicts, limiting state presence and medical care.

Studies on Potential Vaccines to Begin in Autumn

The epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus variant. There is neither an approved vaccine nor an approved treatment for this variant. However, the WHO has begun administering another Ebola vaccine in the affected regions. Although it is not tailored to the current virus variant, experts believe it could mitigate disease progression and reduce mortality, which is nearly 50 percent without vaccination and even 60 percent in children under four years old.

The WHO plans to start clinical efficacy studies for potential vaccines in October or November. Tests with the drug Obeldesivir are already underway for high-risk contacts.

The current outbreak is the second-worst Ebola epidemic after the outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, which resulted in the deaths of more than 11,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.