emirates7 - The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday said the Ebola response needs to be scaled up to tackle the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with tracking the chains of transmission still posing a challenge.
"Until every chain is found and broken, the epidemic will continue and will continue to pose a threat to DRC, its neighbours and the region as a whole," the WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told reporters in Geneva.
The number of deaths in Congo's Ebola outbreak has risen to 3,007, while confirmed cases reached 6,186, government data showed on Wednesday, as the country's worst epidemic continues to spread across its northeast.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, became the largest and deadliest in Congo's history after surpassing the 2018-2020 epidemic.
It is now second only to the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which infected over 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The outbreak was formally declared in Ituri province on 15th May.
It has since spread to six provinces, despite efforts by Congolese authorities, the World Health Organisation and aid groups to contain it.
But there is now hope of possible progress in treatments and vaccinations. The WHO aims to start clinical efficacy trials of potential vaccines next month or in November, and trials on treatments are under way.
"Until every chain is found and broken, the epidemic will continue and will continue to pose a threat to DRC, its neighbours and the region as a whole," the WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told reporters in Geneva.
The number of deaths in Congo's Ebola outbreak has risen to 3,007, while confirmed cases reached 6,186, government data showed on Wednesday, as the country's worst epidemic continues to spread across its northeast.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, became the largest and deadliest in Congo's history after surpassing the 2018-2020 epidemic.
It is now second only to the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which infected over 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The outbreak was formally declared in Ituri province on 15th May.
It has since spread to six provinces, despite efforts by Congolese authorities, the World Health Organisation and aid groups to contain it.
But there is now hope of possible progress in treatments and vaccinations. The WHO aims to start clinical efficacy trials of potential vaccines next month or in November, and trials on treatments are under way.
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