WHO chief ends DR Congo visit as group warns Ebola likely spread undetected

The head of the World Health Organization on Monday concluded his visit to Democratic Republic of Congo by briefing the president on the response to the Ebola outbreak, which an aid agency warned was likely much larger than official figures show.

The outbreak, already the third-largest on record, persisted for weeks undetected, say health officials, who were behind the curve and ‌struggling to bring it under control.

Arriving in DR Congo last week, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for more international support to stop the disease’s spread before he travelled to DR Congo’s Ituri province where the first cases were confirmed.

There he said he saw some encouraging signs – including five certified recoveries – as well as the need to ramp up testing and treatment capacity and promote trust in health workers.

“This Ebola can be stopped when the community owns the agenda and with strong government leadership,” he said after meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa on Monday.

“We need to strengthen the capacity of the ⁠health systems in the affected areas.”