In Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, nearly 5 million people live amid ongoing conflict, with one in four in need of humanitarian assistance and one in five internally displaced, Tedros said in a post on X.
“The violence is forcing people to flee, including health and humanitarian workers. This is severely impeding efforts to scale up Ebola contact tracing and identify infections early enough to provide supportive care,” he added, noting that ongoing insecurity and fear are also fueling mistrust within communities.
The WHO chief said that WHO and humanitarian health partners maintain a presence across Ituri, including in some of the hardest-to-reach and most insecure areas, where communities are facing not only the threat of Ebola but also a wide range of diseases.
Tedros emphasized that delivering a comprehensive package of healthcare services is essential — not only to meet urgent health needs, but also to build the trust that is critical for an effective Ebola response.
On May 16, Tedros determined that the Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. On May 22, the WHO revised its risk assessment to “very high” at the national level, while keeping it as “high” at the regional level and “low” globally.
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