Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep alarm over the speed and scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases continues to rise.
According to Oman News Agency, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths since the new outbreak began. These figures are in addition to one confirmed death and one confirmed case in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, and 30 confirmed cases in Ituri province in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, he stated.
The WHO Director-General emphasized that the numbers are expected to change as field operations expand. This includes enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, and laboratory testing, which are crucial in managing the outbreak. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus relayed these concerns during the World Health Assembly taking place in Geneva this week.
An emergency committee meeting is scheduled for later in the day to discuss the spread of Ebola. The committee, composed of international experts, advises the WHO Director-General on the ongoing crisis. Factors driving WHO's concern over potential wider transmission include confirmed cases in urban areas such as Kampala, Goma, and Ituri.