WHO Director-General Meets Congolese President Amid Ebola Crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, met with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, to address an ongoing Ebola outbreak. Reports indicate that the outbreak, attributed to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, may be significantly larger than official statistics suggest.

As of June 1, 2026, health authorities in the country are grappling with what has become the third-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history. The number of suspected Ebola cases has reached 906, with 223 deaths currently under investigation, according to the WHO. The Congolese government has announced that confirmed cases have increased to 282, including 42 fatalities, following 19 new positive tests.

Tedros arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week and urged the international community to offer more support. His visit took him to Ituri province, where the initial cases were reported. Health officials acknowledge facing numerous challenges, including improving case surveillance, testing practices, and patient care.

In a joint statement released with the Congolese government, both parties admitted it was a “challenging time” and underscored the need for enhanced measures to manage the crisis effectively. They outlined persistent issues such as delays in detecting and isolating cases, contact tracing difficulties, and the need for community education to ensure safe burial practices.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) issued a warning on Monday that the official figures do not accurately reflect the outbreak's true scale. The aid organisation indicated that the virus might have been circulating for up to three months before the first cases were officially recognised in mid-May. With merely 20% of contacts being traced, the organisation highlighted the difficulties in containing the outbreak.

Rachel Howard, a senior technical emergency health advisor at the IRC, commented, “When four out of five contacts are not being traced, it becomes incredibly difficult to contain the outbreak or even understand its true scale.”

The Congolese health officials, despite being experienced in managing Ebola outbreaks, are encountering difficulties with the Bundibugyo strain, which currently lacks an approved vaccine. However, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has pledged approximately $60 million to expedite the development of vaccines for this specific strain, with possible trials expected within months.

In a supportive gesture, China announced it would send a team of medical specialists to the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist in epidemic management efforts. Good news came from Bunia, where four nurses have been discharged from a local hospital after recovering from the disease.

The WHO’s message emphasises the urgent need for combined international efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak, urging nations to lend assistance before the situation deteriorates further.