‘You are not alone’: WHO chief vows to stand with DR Congo through Ebola outbreak

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Community trust will be decisive in bringing the rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo under control, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday, as health teams race to contain the emergency that has spread across multiple provinces and into neighbouring Uganda.

Speaking in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province and the epicentre of the outbreak, Tedros said local communities must remain at the centre of the response to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists.

“We are not here to tell people what to do. We are here to listen,” he said at a press briefing. “Communities understand their own challenges and their own solutions. Our role is to support you in implementing those solutions, together.”

The outbreak continues to evolve rapidly.

As of 27 May, 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths have been reported in DRC. Across both DRC and Uganda, 134 confirmed cases and 18 confirmed deaths have been recorded as of 29 May. In addition, an American national who had treated patients in DRC is currently receiving care in Germany.

Building trust

Tedros used his visit to meet government officials, community leaders, humanitarian agencies and health partners, emphasizing that public confidence and community participation would be essential to ending transmission.

“Community ownership is what will bring this outbreak to an end,” he said.

He expressed hope to engage with women’s groups, religious leaders, business representatives and young people during his visit, describing trust-building as a process that “starts with listening.”

The UN health agency has increasingly focused on working through community networks, including local leaders, radio stations and social media influencers, to combat misinformation and encourage early detection and treatment.

Timely medical care vital

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a relatively rare strain of Ebola first identified in Uganda in 2007.

While no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists, Tedros stressed that survival is possible with timely medical care.

“Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus can be survived with good medical care, and some people here in Ituri have already recovered,” he said. “Seeking care early makes a real difference.”

WHO and its partners are also pursuing clinical trials aimed at developing vaccines and treatments for the strain.

Protecting essential services

Meanwhile, response efforts continue to expand.

WHO has delivered more than 2,000 diagnostic test kits and helped strengthen screening capacities at key transport hubs. The agency is also improving water systems at Ebola treatment centres to support infection prevention and control.

There are also deep concerns that the outbreak risks disrupting broader healthcare services in affected areas.

The UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, said health facilities were increasingly redirecting personnel, supplies and infrastructure toward Ebola response activities, reducing access to services such as emergency caesarean sections, neonatal care, contraception and postnatal support.

To help maintain those services, UNFPA is deploying midwives, reproductive health kits and medical equipment while supporting a regional response plan involving DRC, Uganda and South Sudan.

‘We are here, with you’

Tedros said the response must extend beyond the immediate outbreak, stressing that WHO 

“While we fight this outbreak alongside you, we are committed to ensuring that other essential health services and humanitarian assistance continue to be provided to communities across Ituri and beyond,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the outbreak can be contained.

“DRC has faced Ebola before, sixteen times, and has ended every outbreak,” he said. “This is the seventeenth. That history gives me real confidence.”

Closing his remarks, Tedros sought to reassure affected communities.

“You are not alone in this,” he said. “We are here, we are with you, and we will see this through together.”