WHO chief visits Congo amid Ebola outbreak
Kinshasa, May 30
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, is visiting Congo amid the Ebola outbreak in the nation.
"I had the opportunity to meet with Lieutenant-General Johnny Luboya Nkashama, the Governor of Ituri, which is currently the province in the Congo reporting the highest number of cases in the ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus," Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Saturday.
"During our discussions, we agreed that 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," he added.
He arrived in Kinshasa on Thursday and noted that he had come to show affected communities that "they are not alone" and that the WHO was there to support the response.
He said that the Ebola outbreak in Congo was "very complex", with conflict, insecurity, displacement, food shortages and community mistrust complicating efforts to contain the disease.
India on Friday expressed readiness to continue assisting affected countries and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in dealing with the health emergency.
Addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the medical supplies sent to the Africa CDC were handed over by the Indian High Commissioner in Uganda, Upender Singh Rawat, to its office there.
"We have sent medical supplies to the Africa CDC. This was handed over by our High Commissioner in Uganda to the CDC office there. We look forward to further helping in whatever manner we can with the countries and with the Africa CDC in dealing with this public health emergency that has happened on the continent. We will keep you updated as and when we have more developments on that account. But we have sent the first tranche of medical supplies to the Africa CDC," Jaiswal added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While WHO's visit is important, I hope they also focus on building trust with local communities. Without community cooperation, even the best medical response can fail. Some extra effort in communication and engagement might go a long way.
The mix of conflict and disease is truly concerning. Proud that India is contributing to Africa CDC. Global health security requires unity. 🌍
India stepping up to help in such crises shows our commitment to global solidarity. But we also need to strengthen our own public health systems. What's the latest on preparedness at our borders?
It's reassuring to see WHO leadership on the ground. The coordination between health actors and local government is crucial. Hoping for a swift containment. 🙏
Is it just me or does it feel like we're seeing more of these outbreaks? Hopefully, the combined international effort can help Congo tackle this effectively. India's role as a first responder in Africa is praiseworthy.
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