WHO Chief Warns of Ebola Epidemic 'Outpacing' Response

AI Summary

The WHO director-general warns that the Ebola epidemic is 'outpacing' the response, with 220 suspected deaths reported. The outbreak has spread to Uganda, with seven confirmed cases.

The Ebola Epidemic's Rapid Spread

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) says there have been 220 suspected deaths in the current Ebola outbreak and that a delay in detecting cases meant responders are now 'playing catch-up.'

WHO's Response and Concerns

'We are urgently scaling up operations, but at the moment the epidemic is outpacing us,' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday, adding that countries bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) should take immediate action.

Epidemiological Data and Analysis

220 suspected deaths reported
Over 900 suspected cases identified in the DRC
7 confirmed cases in Uganda

Regional Impact and Concerns

The epicentre of the latest outbreak is in the DRC's northeastern province of Ituri, and it has also spread into the neighbouring provinces, as far as 200km (125 miles) away from 'ground zero', as well as beyond the country's borders, to Uganda.

Future Outlook and Predictions

No vaccine or treatment exists for the new Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, and fear has gripped the streets of cities in the DRC and Uganda.