WHO warns Congo Ebola outbreak could become worst on record

The World Health Organization warns the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could become the worst on record, with 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths reported. The epidemic is spreading rapidly, particularly in the Bunia area, and WHO is urging more resources to accelerate case detection. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is already the second-largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, and its expansion speed raises fears it could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. A key concern is that many deaths occur outside treatment units, indicating unidentified transmission chains, with current contact tracing at about 80% against a 95% target. The WHO plans to expand capacity to 3,000 beds within 12 weeks and needs thousands more health workers. Funding remains a challenge, with only 264 million of the 518 million dollars required for the response plan disbursed. Two vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus are in phase one safety trials, and WHO recommends advancing to phase three clinical trials.