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 neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), saying he is “confident” the epidemic can be brought under control.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the Ugandan authorities on Monday to continue assisting the 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, the DRC 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.