Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
Thank you for joining us today.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains a public health emergency of international concern.
Almost 11 000 confirmed cases and more than 5300 deaths have now been reported in DRC, across eight provinces.
There’s also good news: almost 3000 people have recovered, and there are encouraging signs that transmission is slowing in some areas.
That progress reflects the work of communities, health workers, national authorities and response partners, under the leadership of the government.
But new hotspots continue to emerge, and the outbreak is still expanding in other areas.
We cannot mistake progress in some places for control of the outbreak as a whole.
Insecurity is now one of the greatest obstacles to the response.
During an attack on the town of Cantine-Aloya last week, 66 civilians were killed, including three health workers, and three health facilities were looted and burned.
More than 1000 contacts have been lost to follow up, and three confirmed cases are unaccounted for.
This appalling attack represents both a major humanitarian emergency and a significant setback to the response.
And it’s not the only one.
Two weeks ago a nurse was killed and another health worker badly injured when they were attacked while responding to an Ebola alert in Tshopo province.
Other attacks have included a grenade found near a health zone office;
Gunfire near an Ebola treatment centre;
An arson attempt on a treatment centre;
Stones thrown at a vehicle conducting safe and dignified burials;
Threats against health workers – and more.
These incidents restrict humanitarian access, disrupt operations, make it harder to reach communities quickly, and give the virus an advantage.
Displacement, difficult terrain and rainy weather only add to these pressures.
Delays in paying frontline health workers and responders also risk strikes and community tension at a time when every day counts.
The response is expanding, but it is still not at the scale required to rapidly identify, isolate and treat every case, trace every contact, and interrupt transmission.
WHO is working under the leadership of the Government of the DRC, and in partnership with Africa CDC and other partners to strengthen every pillar of the response:
Surveillance; laboratory capacity; clinical care; infection prevention and control; safe and dignified burials; and risk communication and community engagement.
These functions must work as one system. An alert must lead quickly to investigation, isolation and testing.
A positive result must trigger care and contact identification and follow-up.
Health facilities must protect patients and health workers.
Communities must be informed, listened to and involved.
Research is also advancing.
A trial using the Ervebo vaccine began last month, and WHO expert groups have recommended adding two candidates developed specifically for Bundibugyo virus.
But vaccines are not a substitute for the measures that save lives now: early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe and dignified burials, infection prevention, and trusted engagement with communities.
And we must always remember that Ebola is just one of the threats these communities face, which means the response must also protect essential health and humanitarian services.
Outbreak control cannot come at the expense of primary health care, maternal and child health services, or access to treatment for other diseases.
It must also reach people equitably, including those in non-government-controlled and hard-to-reach areas.
Protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment must remain integral to every part of the response.
WHO is working with OCHA and inter-agency partners to strengthen practical safeguards, trusted reporting channels, investigations and timely, survivor-centred assistance.
We welcome the stronger integration of these protections compared with previous Ebola responses.
But critical gaps remain, and safeguards must translate into safer access to services and effective support for victims and survivors.
Regional preparedness is equally important.
As you know, Kenya has reported nine cases linked to an imported case from the DRC, including two deaths.
Today Kenya discharged the final patient and began the 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free.
Nigeria has reported one imported case, in a Swiss citizen who was evacuated to Switzerland with their spouse.
In both countries, the rapid detection and management of cases show the value of preparedness, transparency and control measures.
WHO is supporting readiness in countries at risk, especially around high-risk border areas, through surveillance, investigation of alerts, testing, isolation and clinical management capacities, and the procurement of personal protective equipment.
We again call on countries that have imposed blanket travel restrictions to lift them.
Such restrictions hinder response operations, damage livelihoods and create disincentives for countries to report outbreaks rapidly and transparently.
Targeted, evidence-based public health measures are more effective.
The Government of the DRC has updated its national response plan through January 2027.
WHO and Africa CDC are also revising the Continental Preparedness and Response Plan for the next phase of the response.
WHO has mobilized substantial resources for its work, but financing must be timely, coordinated and directed to the most urgent operational needs.
Transparent tracking of pledges, commitments and disbursements is essential for accountability and impact.
Today, I have five requests for Member States and partners.
First, I ask you to sustain political and diplomatic engagement to secure safe and equitable humanitarian access, preserve humanitarian space and protect health workers, patients and facilities.
Second, I ask you to support the rapid operational scale-up in affected areas and preparedness in countries at risk, aligned with national leadership and the common response plan.
Third, we must ensure that frontline workers are paid on time and that essential health and humanitarian services continue alongside the Ebola response.
Fourth, we must keep communities at the centre. Trust cannot be added at the end of a response. It is built through respectful engagement, reliable services, accountability and action on what communities tell us.
And fifth, we cannot focus only on Ebola. Some people in the affected communities have said told me personally that Ebola is a lesser evil compared to some of the other threats they face.
We must not only address those threats, but strengthen the health system so that when this outbreak eventually ends, they are in a better position than they were before it started.
The path to ending this outbreak is clear: national leadership, community ownership, safe access, disciplined coordination and sustained support by all partners.
WHO will continue to stand with the Government and people of the DRC, with affected communities and with all countries working to prevent further spread.
I thank Member States for your support, and I look forward to your questions and comments.