WHO Raises Ebola Risk to 'Very High' in DRC Amid Attacks on Treatment Centers

The World Health Organization raised its risk level for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo to “very high” on Friday, following attacks on treatment centers in conflict-hit regions where the disease is spreading rapidly.

The new risk assessment, which remains high in the wider region but low worldwide, marks a further deterioration of an outbreak that the WHO declared a global health emergency last Sunday.

There have so far been 82 confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. But the extent of the current outbreak is likely much larger: the WHO has recorded almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths in Africa's second-largest country.

The situation remains stable in neighboring Uganda, where two confirmed cases and one death have been recorded.

Anne Ancia, the WHO’s lead official in Congo, said she considered the rapidly surging case numbers were "probably good" because they showed surveillance was working. The WHO’s strategy is to actively search for cases and isolate their contacts for 21 days, she said, adding it was the “only way” they would be able to disrupt the transmission until a drug or vaccine is approved.

The WHO also announced it plans to test antiviral drug Obeldesivir, which is produced by American biopharmaceutical giant Gilead, against the Bundibugyo virus as soon as possible.

Health authorities believe the drug may be among the most promising tools to take on the rare virus, which is driving the current outbreak of the disease. But they declined to give a specific timeline for testing as discussions over how trials may be carried out were ongoing.

Outbreak amid an ongoing conflict

The precarious security situation in Congo's Ituri and North Kivu provinces is proving to be a major challenge for the health workers attempting to contain the outbreak.

A treatment center at Rwampara General Hospital, near the city of Bunia, was set on fire by angry locals on Thursday. According to the BBC, the family and friends of a young man who is believed to have died of Ebola were infuriated when medical personnel forbade them from taking his body away for burial, and police officers had to intervene to disperse the crowd.

WHO official Ancia said health staff were attempting to mediate and calm locals. “Building trust in the affected communities is critical to a successful response, and is one of our highest priorities,” Tedros said of the incident.

Money is flowing in to help with the crisis, with the United Nations releasing $60 million to tackle the outbreak. But officials said the rapidly worsening situation underlined the need to invest in disease prevention ahead of time.

“Funding is challenging right now in the health space, we all know this, but we do know there is plenty of money out there,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, who handles the WHO's response to emerging and re-emerging pathogens, adding there were “billions of dollars spent on war every day.”

The infectious disease epidemiologist added that, while cash appears to always be available to address outbreaks, "what we actually need money for is prevention."

WHO officials reiterated their opposition to travel bans after the U.S. announced restrictions on travelers who had been in the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan in the last 21 days.

Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO director of health emergency alert & response operations, urged countries to prioritize “humanitarian access” and “solidarity” instead of travel restrictions.