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WHO chief rallies community in Congo's Ebola response, calls for more funding

By Reuters Reuters

Updated May 30, 2026 12:31 PM

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is received as he arrives at Bunia National Airport, to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak, as agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, at the Bunia National Airport in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer — Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is received as he arrives at Bunia National Airport, to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak, as agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, at the Bunia National Airport in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Stringer Reuters

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The World Health Organisation chief on Saturday called on communities in the centre of the Congo's latest Ebola outbreak to play a central role in fighting the disease.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ⁠arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak, for which 1,028 suspected cases had been recorded by Friday, according to Congolese authorities.

"The communities understand the problems better and they know the solution as well," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom ⁠Ghebreyesus told reporters after arriving in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, a hotspot of the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

"Yes, the international community is involved, under the leadership of the government of DRC. At the same time, community ownership is important. That's why we are here to discuss with the community to see how the response is running and, if there are challenges, to help," Tedros said.

On arrival in Congo's capital Kinshasa on Thursday, Tedros called for more international support for the Ebola response, saying the WHO had so far received only a third of its funding requirements.

French aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Saturday warned that the latest Ebola outbreak - the 17th since 1976 - was spreading at an unprecedented pace.

"Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration," Alan Gonzalez, MSF deputy director of operations, said in a statement.

The number of expert medical organisations responding to the outbreak on the ground, as well as the level of support being provided to fight the outbreak, is still far short of what is required, Gonzalez added.

(Reporting by Robbie Corey-Boulet in Dakar and Nelson Banya in Harare, editing by Tomasz Janowski)

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is received as he arrives at Bunia National Airport, to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak, as agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer — Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is received as he arrives at Bunia National Airport, to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak, as agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Stringer Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Medical team from the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), an international NGO dress up in personal protective equipment (PPE) as they set up a treatment centre for the Ebola response, as agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, in Rwampara outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 29, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo — FILE PHOTO: Medical team from the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), an international NGO dress up in personal protective equipment (PPE) as they set up a treatment centre for the Ebola response, as agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, in Rwampara outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 29, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo Gradel Muyisa Mumbere Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus looks on as he arrives at N'djili International Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 28, 2026. REUTERS/Arsene Mpiana/File Photo — FILE PHOTO: Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus looks on as he arrives at N'djili International Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 28, 2026. REUTERS/Arsene Mpiana/File Photo Arsene Mpiana Reuters

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 11:47 AM.