WHO targets DR Congo Ebola turnaround in three months

The World Health Organization announced Wednesday it aims to reverse the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo within three months, though it cautioned the outbreak will not be fully over by then. The epidemic has 4,499 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths. The outbreak, centered in the conflict-scarred northeastern province of Ituri, is spreading faster than any previous Ebola event. WHO emergency chief Abdirahman Mahamud said a turnaround is expected in three months if all response aspects are implemented simultaneously across five transmission zones, but stressed surveillance must continue to prevent resurgence. The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, triggering a public health emergency of international concern two days later. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited contact tracing as the priority, aiming to raise follow-up rates to 95 percent from 80 percent, while tripling treatment capacity to 3,000 beds within 12 weeks.