Ebola outbreak is still outpacing response, says WHO chief

The ​Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of ‌Congo and Uganda is continuing to outpace response efforts, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ​said on Wednesday.

"Despite the good progress we ​have made, we still face major challenges, ⁠and the outbreak is continuing to ​outpace the response," Tedros told a press conference.

He ​added that the global risk from the Ebola outbreak remained low, but called for measures to contain ​the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain ​of the virus to be scaled up further.

"Contact-tracing is inadequate, ‌treatment ⁠capacity is insufficient, and safe burials remain a major challenge, with the health system under pressure," Tedros told reporters.

The epicentre of ​the Ebola outbreak ​is in ⁠Congo, where 1,094 confirmed cases, including 277 deaths, have been recorded. Uganda ​has confirmed 20 cases and two ​deaths.

A ⁠senior WHO official said on Tuesday that the outbreak had the largest number of confirmed cases ⁠within ​the first month of ​any episode of the disease.

-Reuters