The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains far from under control, with nearly 5,000 infections and more than 2,300 deaths reported across six provinces.

Speaking at the opening of the Second International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting on the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak continues to expand at an unprecedented pace.

“This is the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, and it is spreading faster than previous outbreaks,” Tedros said. “We now have approximately 5,000 infections and more than 2,300 deaths across 55 health zones in six provinces. We must be clear: the outbreak is far from under control.”

Outbreak continues to spread across eastern DRC

Tedros said the outbreak is being fueled by insecurity, population displacement and the movement of people along roads, rivers and mining routes, making containment efforts increasingly difficult.

He noted that Uganda successfully halted transmission after detecting its first case and praised the country's response. However, he said the virus was carried to France last month by an infected traveler, underscoring the continued risk of international spread.

“Borders may slow a response, but they cannot stop a virus,” Tedros said, adding that the DRC government, WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and international partners are expanding response operations in affected areas.

Vaccines and treatment trials advance

The WHO chief also highlighted progress in medical research, saying that two vaccines specifically developed against the Bundibugyo strain have entered human clinical trials for the first time. Another vaccine that demonstrated cross-protection in animal studies is advancing toward Phase III clinical trials.

He added that 100 patients have so far been enrolled in the WHO-sponsored PARTNERS therapeutic trial, while emphasizing that stronger disease surveillance, faster data sharing, sustained funding, improved security and closer cross-border coordination remain essential to controlling the outbreak.

Tedros stressed that efforts to contain Ebola should not disrupt access to other essential health services in affected communities.

International concern remains high

The current outbreak was declared in the DRC on May 15 after authorities reported suspected Ebola cases and deaths in Ituri Province. WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) three months ago because of the growing risk of regional and international spread.

Ebola is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever first identified in 1976 in what is now South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The virus was named after the nearby Ebola River, close to where one of the first recorded outbreaks occurred.(ILKHA)