WHO chief lauds Uganda’s response to Ebola outbreak

The director-general of the World Health Organization has praised Uganda for its response to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa, saying he is “confident” the epidemic can be brought under control.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the Ugandan authorities on Monday to continue assisting the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in containing the deadly disease, during a visit to the country.

The DRC’s eastern province of Ituri, which sits on the border, is the epicentre of the outbreak. With the region blighted by decades of conflict, DR Congo has struggled to deal with the emergency, which has worsened a dire humanitarian situation.

However, the United Nations health chief credited Uganda with striking a responsible stance to the threat.

“The government has mounted a prompt and capable response to the outbreak of Ebola,” Tedros said.

“Screening at the borders helped detect cases arriving from neighbouring DRC, and the country’s surveillance, testing and case management systems are doing steady work.”

However, Tedros also urged Uganda to ease restrictions placed on the border.

Both the DRC and Uganda declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15. It is the third-largest outbreak in history and is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine.

Uganda closed its border with the DRC almost two weeks ago in a bid to contain the spread of the disease. The move has disrupted local trade and could have wider economic consequences.

On Friday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was monitoring the economic impact of the crisis on the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, but added that it was too early to assess the broader effects.

South Sudan, which borders both the DRC and Uganda, has not reported any Ebola cases in the current outbreak but remains at high risk due to its geographic proximity.

Tedros said he hoped Uganda would “reconsider” its decision to close its border with the DRC because of the economic consequences.

“There is no need for restrictions since they affect the economy,” he said. “Restrictions don’t really help… Addressing the epicentre is the solution.”

On Monday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC had risen to 544, with 88 deaths reported.

Uganda has confirmed 19 cases, 14 of which were among people who had travelled from the DRC. The country has confirmed two deaths from the disease.

The outbreak has raised concerns that it could worsen the hunger crisis in the DRC, where nearly 27 million people face acute food insecurity.