WHO notes progress in Congo Ebola response but warns of surge in eastern region
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared on September 16, 2026, that containment initiatives targeting the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are demonstrating promising momentum, with transmission rates declining across sections of Ituri province—yet authorities emphasize the outbreak remains substantially uncontrolled. “We are starting to see encouraging signs that we’re gaining ground,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Geneva. The DRC has documented over 7,000 confirmed Ebola cases spanning seven provinces throughout this ongoing epidemic. The outbreak stems from the uncommon Bundibugyo virus, which presents distinctive intervention obstacles. While transmission is decelerating in the outbreak's core region within Ituri province and South Kivu has experienced zero new cases since May, health organizations remain apprehensive regarding extensive population movement and intensifying complications in adjacent regions such as N...