WHO chief arrives in Congo as rare Ebola outbreak spreads

The World Health Organization's chief has landed in Kinshasa, Congo's capital, to assess the response to an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola virus. The visit marks a high-level effort to tackle the disease as it spreads across the region.

Health officials have struggled to contain the outbreak. Public distrust and ongoing insecurity have made it harder for teams to reach patients and carry out prevention work. Access to affected areas remains limited in some places.

The WHO leader's presence signals the organization's commitment to the response. Direct observation on the ground allows the agency to understand local challenges firsthand and coordinate with Congolese health authorities.

Ebola outbreaks have devastated Congo before. The 2018–2020 epidemic killed nearly 2,300 people in the country's east. This new outbreak involves a strain that rarely appears in humans, making it harder to predict and manage.

Officials have not disclosed specific numbers of confirmed cases or deaths in the current outbreak. Response teams are working to trace contacts of infected people and provide care in treatment centers set up across affected zones.