GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s top official announced Friday that Congo’s Ebola outbreak is accelerating at an alarming pace and has elevated the threat level to “very high” on a national scale.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that the U.N. health agency has increased its risk evaluation to “very high” for Congo, upgrading from the previous “high” designation. He informed reporters that regional spread risk stays at high levels while global risk remains low.
The WHO chief reported that 82 cases have been verified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with seven confirmed fatalities, “but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger.”
He disclosed that nearly 750 cases are under investigation with 177 suspected fatalities. The circumstances in adjacent Uganda remain “stable” with two verified cases in individuals who had journeyed from Congo, resulting in one death.
Earlier Friday, the United Nations announced it had allocated $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to enhance response efforts in Congo and surrounding areas. The U.S. has committed $23 million in financial support to strengthen response activities in Congo and Uganda, and indicated it would finance the creation of up to 50 Ebola treatment facilities in the impacted areas of both countries.
Ugandan officials stated they had no knowledge of any treatment facilities being established by the U.S.
