WHO reports 220 suspected Ebola deaths in DRC, warns outbreak outpacing response

The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed on Monday that a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has caused 220 suspected deaths, as health officials struggle to catch up with the pace of spread of the epidemic.

While 101 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths have been recorded, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the true scale is far larger. “There are now more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths,” Tedros said at the Virtual Ministerial Briefing on the Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak on Monday. Tedros is set to travel to the DRC with the WHO’s emergencies director, as the agency commits to stopping the outbreak.