OMM Newsroom
About 3,000 people have recovered from Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and returned home, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday, according to Anadolu Agency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed deep gratitude to the nurses, doctors, community health workers, contact tracers and burial teams working under extraordinary pressure to save lives.
“Amid immense hardship, local responders and global partners, under the leadership of the government, are driving hard-won progress. Transmission is slowing in several early epicentres, and clinical trials, including the Tumaini trial and new vaccine candidates, are advancing rapidly,” Tedros wrote in a post on “X”.
WHO declared the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a public health emergency of international concern six months ago.
Since then, more than 11,000 confirmed cases, including 5,400 deaths, have been recorded in 67 health zones across eight provinces.
Tedros called for safe humanitarian access and an end to hostilities so health workers can reach every affected area without fear.
He said efforts to end Ebola start and end with communities, and urged responders to build trust through listening, respect and compassionate care so people seek treatment early, when lives can be saved.
Tedros also urged donors to address critical funding gaps to sustain the response. He said WHO would continue supporting the people of Congo, working with the government and partners until there are no remaining cases.
Earlier this month, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya said two-thirds of the $2.9 billion mobilized for the Ebola response on the continent had yet to be disbursed.
