Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the epidemic “can be stopped,” but violence, displacement and the absence of a proven vaccine threaten to slow the response
The head of the World Health Organization has arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a clear message: the country’s latest Ebola outbreak can still be brought under control, but only if health workers are granted safe access to the communities at the centre of the crisis.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus landed in Kinshasa before travelling toward Ituri province, the north-eastern region where the outbreak is concentrated. His visit comes as Congolese authorities and international health agencies race to contain a fast-moving epidemic in one of the country’s most unstable areas, where armed conflict, displacement and weak medical infrastructure have created ideal conditions for the virus to spread.
“This outbreak can be stopped,” Tedros said, urging unity among national authorities, humanitarian organisations and local communities. But his appeal was also directed at the armed groups active in eastern Congo. He called for a halt to fighting, warning that violence is obstructing medical relief operations and putting both patients and health workers at risk.
The outbreak, declared in mid-May, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a species for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. That makes early detection, isolation, contact tracing, safe burials and community trust even more essential. WHO has said it is scaling up support for surveillance, laboratory testing, clinical care, emergency supplies and cross-border preparedness.
The situation is especially difficult in Ituri, a mineral-rich province long affected by militia violence and mass displacement. Many communities are difficult to reach, while fear, misinformation and insecurity can prevent patients from seeking care. In past Ebola outbreaks, distrust of authorities and attacks on treatment centres have repeatedly undermined containment efforts.
The latest outbreak has already expanded beyond DRC’s borders, with Uganda also reporting cases. Regional health authorities are now strengthening border surveillance and preparedness measures, while international agencies warn that population movement between eastern Congo and neighbouring countries increases the risk of further spread.
Tedros has rejected broad travel bans as an effective response, arguing that they can disrupt aid and discourage transparency without stopping transmission. Instead, WHO is pushing for rapid testing, better data, safe humanitarian corridors and deeper engagement with affected communities.
The challenge is both medical and political. Ebola is a deadly disease, but it is also containable when response teams can identify cases quickly, isolate patients, trace contacts and work with communities. In eastern Congo, however, the virus is spreading through a landscape already fractured by conflict.
For the WHO chief, the message from DRC is urgent but not hopeless. The outbreak can be stopped, he insists. Yet stopping it will require more than medical expertise. It will require security, trust, funding and a temporary silence of the guns in one of Africa’s most fragile humanitarian front lines.
