WHO Chief Tedros: Ebola Contact Tracing in Congo Nearly Impossible

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the W.H.O., expressed deep concern in remarks published Wednesday about the deteriorating security situation in the central African nation, according to Breitbart News. He emphasized that humanitarian access remains essential to stopping Ebola transmission, but ongoing armed clashes are forcing mass displacement of civilians into overcrowded camps and disrupting critical containment operations.

The W.H.O. chief stated that frontline medical workers are risking their lives while attacks on health facilities severely hamper the ability to track cases and their contacts. He noted that building community trust or isolating the sick becomes impossible when bombs are falling.

Tedros is currently traveling to the DRC, where he plans to meet directly with Ebola victims and their families while overseeing containment operations. Before his arrival, he issued an open letter to the Congolese people explaining his visit and calling for a ceasefire from the numerous armed groups that have terrorized the population for years.

In his letter, he stressed that health workers cannot perform their duties if they are prevented from reaching affected areas or placed in danger. He confirmed the W.H.O. is coordinating with relevant partners to ensure the response reaches every community in need, regardless of location or surrounding conflict.

Tedros made a direct appeal to all warring factions in the region, pleading for even a brief ceasefire to allow health workers safe passage. He argued that people are dying from Ebola unnecessarily, with children falling ill and families suffering, insisting that no cause or conflict justifies condemning innocent people to death from a preventable disease.

The W.H.O. designated the Ebola outbreak centered in Ituri province a global health emergency on May 17, after acknowledging officials had been slow to recognize the signs of an emerging outbreak. Scientists have determined the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, for which no vaccine currently exists and treatment options remain limited. As of Thursday, authorities have confirmed 101 diagnosed infections and 221 deaths. Nearly 1,000 additional individuals have been classified as suspected Ebola cases.

The international health body has faced criticism for its delayed response, admitting this month that the virus was spreading far more rapidly than expected. Three days after declaring the global health emergency, Tedros told reporters the U.N. agency assessed the epidemic risk as low globally but high locally, given that Ituri is highly insecure.

The eastern DRC region where health workers identified the outbreak ranks among the most volatile areas worldwide, with dozens of criminal gangs battling for control of vital mining territory. The protracted violence has claimed the lives of multiple United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian aid workers, while also fueling an exploitative industry forcing people, including children, into hazardous mining operations. During a previous Ebola outbreak in Ituri in 2019, the W.H.O. documented a catastrophic surge in cases linked to mass civilian displacement caused by rival warlords fighting over territory.

Widespread distrust of international health workers poses another major obstacle to effective disease response in the DRC. Many residents deny Ebola exists and fear it serves as a pretext for population control by foreigners seeking to reduce African populations. Others reject warnings that traditional burial practices, which often involve prolonged contact with infected bodies, can facilitate disease transmission. The W.H.O. has deepened local suspicions following a massive sexual abuse scandal in which its workers stationed in the DRC from 2018 to 2019 reportedly coerced local women into sex and abandoned them after impregnation.

During the current outbreak, health workers have recorded numerous mob attacks in which locals refusing to believe Ebola is real attempted to burn down makeshift medical centers and physically assaulted medical personnel. In these incidents, confirmed Ebola patients escaped the health facilities, exposing an unknown number of people to potential infection.

Tedros acknowledged this situation in his open letter, stating he understands why anger and mistrust exist in some communities. He conceded that trust must be earned rather than assumed, admitting the organization has not always acted correctly. However, he did not specifically mention the sex abuse scandal or the W.H.O.’s failure to identify the current outbreak promptly.

With information from Breitbart News