The head of the World Health Organization was due to meet with Democratic Republic of Congo’s president on Monday to discuss the country’s Ebola outbreak, which an aid agency warned was likely much larger than official figures reflect.
The outbreak, already the third-largest on record, persisted for weeks undetected, say health officials, who are now behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control.
Arriving in Congo last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for more international support to stop the disease’s spread before he travelled to Congo’s Ituri province where the first cases were confirmed.
In a joint statement on Sunday night, the WHO and the Congolese government acknowledged it was “a challenging time” and that they were working to improve surveillance, testing and care for patients.
“Persistent challenges include early detection and isolation of cases, contact tracing, safe and dignified burials, robust infection prevention and control in health facilities, and strong community awareness,” the statement said.
After flying back to Congo’s capital Kinshasa, Tedros was expected to meet with President Felix Tshisekedi at his residence before returning to Geneva, according to an official programme.
