Geneva, May 22 (SANA) The World Health Organization raised Friday its public health risk assessment for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo from “high” to “very high” at the national level, while maintaining a “high” regional risk and “low” global risk assessment.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, quoted by AFP, said nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths have been recorded in the country, including seven confirmed fatalities. He warned that violence and insecurity are hampering the response to the outbreak.
On Uganda, Ghebreyesus said the situation remains stable, with two confirmed cases in individuals who had traveled from DR Congo and one recorded death.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain — a rare variant for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists. Ebola first emerged in 1976, with the deadliest outbreak occurring in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, claiming more than 11,000 lives.
KhA
