BUNIA (Democratic Republic of Congo) – The World Health Organisation chief travelled on Saturday to the Congolese province hardest hit by an Ebola outbreak, urging residents to seek treatment and practice safe burials as officials scramble to contain the fatal disease.
The outbreak – the 17th in Democratic Republic of Congo and the third-largest since Ebola was discovered half a century ago – is outpacing the global response, something WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged this week before travelling to Kinshasa on Thursday.
His visit came as Brazil said on Saturday it was investigating a suspected Ebola case in Sao Paulo state involving a man who recently visited Congo. Authorities said the patient was in isolation at a specialist hospital.
After meeting Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka on Friday, Tedros flew on Saturday to Bunia, capital of Ituri province, where the first cases were confirmed earlier this month.
At a press conference alongside Congo’s health minister, Tedros said the rare Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccines or treatments, making early palliative care – including isolation, rehydration and pain management – critical.
“Seeking care early makes a real difference,” he said. He also urged residents to practice safe burials, warning the bodies of Ebola victims are highly contagious. “I understand how painful it is to lose someone and how much it means to honour them properly,” he said. “While we grieve for those we have lost, we must do everything we can so that we do not lose another.” There have already been multiple attacks on health facilities by crowds seeking to reclaim bodies for traditional burials, in which family members handle the body without proper protective equipment.
The WHO said on Friday there were 906 suspected cases of Ebola in Congo, including 223 suspected deaths under investigation.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said later on Friday authorities had identified 1,028 suspected cases, with 225 confirmed.
