WHO and United Kingdom step up Ebola response and regional preparedness

Brazzaville - As the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread, reaching affected people early enough to stop transmission remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the response.

The outbreak has infected more than 4500 people and claimed over 2000 lives across five provinces. In the latest reporting period, two thirds of the deaths occurred in communities, pointing to continuing delays in detecting infections and referring people for care.

Against this backdrop, senior officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and the United Kingdom met to review the response, identify priority gaps and determine where additional resources could have the greatest impact in controlling the outbreak and limiting further spread.

"Our priority is to bring the outbreak under control," said Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, Director, Programme Management at the WHO Regional Office for Africa. "The response is not yet keeping pace with the outbreak. We must close the gaps that allow the virus to continue spreading and change its trajectory."

Fewer than one quarter of confirmed cases had previously been identified as contacts, while the source of infection remains unknown for more than half. Consequently, many transmission chains are being detected only after infected people fall ill or die.

Ituri remains the epicentre, with transmission also continuing in North Kivu and Haut-Uélé. Insecurity and displacement are restricting access to some affected communities, delaying critical operations and limiting the scale of the response. Mining activity and high population mobility are further complicating operations and increasing the risk of the virus spreading to new areas.

In several hotspots, treatment facilities are saturated. Some affected health zones lack ambulances, while shortages of health workers and other response personnel are slowing the investigation of alerts, referral of patients and follow-up of contacts.

With no licensed vaccine or specific licensed treatment for Bundibugyo virus, controlling the outbreak depends on rapidly delivering proven Ebola response measures wherever transmission is occurring. These include detecting and isolating cases, tracing contacts, providing quality clinical care, preventing infections in health facilities, conducting safe and dignified burials and engaging communities.

Working alongside the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and partners, WHO has deployed multidisciplinary experts to reinforce surveillance, contact tracing and laboratory testing, while treatment and isolation capacity is being expanded in affected areas.

WHO is also supporting infection prevention and control, community engagement, logistics and the continuity of essential health services, with particular attention to displaced people, mining communities and populations in insecure or difficult-to-reach areas.

"The UK is not going anywhere. We are in this for the long run and remain committed to supporting WHO and its partners," said Zoë Ware, United Kingdom Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "Our new Foreign Secretary is following the situation closely and wants to know what more the UK can do to support."

The outbreak also poses a risk to neighbouring countries, including Uganda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Strong surveillance, preparedness and cross-border coordination are essential to ensure that suspected cases are rapidly detected and investigated.

The United Kingdom's flexible funding has enabled WHO to mobilize technical expertise, reinforce coordination and expand operations as needs have evolved. Channelled through government-led structures and established operational networks, the funding also helps build response capacity at national and provincial levels and strengthen preparedness in countries at risk.

The discussions reaffirmed a shared commitment to working with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect affected communities, bring the outbreak under control and prevent further spread.