The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday called for better coordination between humanitarian and health organizations in the region affected by the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"A key priority for responding to the outbreak is to enhance the coordination among all health and humanitarian actors, ensuring their operations align with the government’s overall leadership in managing this response," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X during his visit to Ituri, the province hardest hit by the outbreak.
Tedros also emphasized "the importance of actively listening to and supporting the community. The local population is best equipped to articulate their needs and to identify effective solutions for containing the outbreak."
People in the eastern Congo region affected by the outbreak are wary of some of the preventive measures.
Isolation, separation from family members, and the special safety measures for burying deceased Ebola patients stand in stark contrast to local social norms customary when people are ill or die.
Aid organizations are also struggling with the problem that many people in Ituri see Ebola as a myth.
More than 1,000 suspected cases have been reported since the outbreak began, with 250 of those having died, according to the Congolese government.
The WHO says neighbouring Uganda has nine confirmed cases, with one of the people since having died.
