The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called on communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to actively participate in containing an Ebola outbreak that is spreading faster than the response can keep pace with. Speaking at the opening of a new treatment centre in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in eastern DRC — the epicentre of the current outbreak — Tedros declared that containing the virus is "everybody's business" and urged residents to seek medical care at the first sign of symptoms. "We can stop this Ebola and anyone who has it can also recover," he said. "The key is to come forward as early as possible."

The outbreak, declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO, is the 17th Ebola epidemic recorded in the DRC since the disease was first identified there in 1976. It is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which no licensed vaccine or approved treatment currently exists, though the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said a vaccine could be ready by the end of the year. Authorities have recorded more than 1,000 suspected cases and over 240 suspected deaths in the DRC, with nine confirmed infections and one death in neighbouring Uganda. Médecins Sans Frontières has warned that the scale and speed of the spread is unprecedented at this stage of an outbreak, with hundreds of samples still awaiting test results.

A major obstacle to containment is community distrust. Stringent medical protocols around the handling of victims' bodies conflict with local burial traditions, fuelling anger that has already led to at least three attacks on health facilities. Tedros emphasised the importance of safe burials, acknowledging that grief must be balanced against the risk of further transmission through contact with the deceased. Armed conflict adds another layer of complexity: fighting involving the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group with links to the Islamic State, and various ethnic militias has restricted access in Ituri and parts of North and South Kivu provinces, prompting the WHO chief to call for a ceasefire.

Amid these challenges, there are signs of hope. Five patients had recovered from the Bundibugyo virus by Sunday, with four discharged on that day alone. Recovered patients, including a nurse who described being tested seven times before Ebola was confirmed, have urged others not to attribute early symptoms such as vomiting and headaches to poisoning or other causes, a common misconception that delays treatment. Doctors at the Bunia centre expressed cautious optimism, noting that the current strain has shown a degree of treatability with supportive care.

Funding and supplies remain critical concerns. The WHO has so far received only around a third of what it needs for the response, though the Congolese government has committed $20 million and the United States has pledged $112 million in total aid. The Africa CDC has stressed that international support is most effective when it aligns with African-led strategies, with its director general writing that "Africa's response to Ebola must be defined by Africa itself." The DRC has ended all 16 previous outbreaks, and Tedros said that record gave him genuine confidence that this one, too, can be brought under control.