Arabic version: تحذير منظمة الصحة العالمية من أن تفشي الإيبولا قد يصبح غير مسبوق

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarms regarding the current Ebola outbreak in central Africa, stating it could potentially become the largest on record. As of a recent update, there have been 471 confirmed cases and 84 reported deaths from the outbreak, which was declared three weeks ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to SBS News, the situation is escalating rapidly, with the number of cases and fatalities increasing significantly within a short time.

In the DRC, the WHO reported 452 confirmed cases and 82 deaths, while neighboring Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases and two deaths. The latest figures indicate a rise of 100 cases and 20 deaths from the previous day, highlighting the urgent nature of the outbreak. Public health officials fear that without robust interventions, the current outbreak could rival the devastating 2014 West Africa epidemic, which resulted in over 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

Jason Asher, director of the CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, emphasized the seriousness of the situation during a press briefing, noting that the outbreak is moving fast and requires immediate action. The WHO has declared this outbreak an international public health emergency, underscoring the need for effective measures to contain its spread.

To combat the outbreak, the WHO and the African CDC have initiated a $518 million plan aimed at enhancing surveillance, laboratory testing, and infection prevention over the next six months. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of acting quickly to stop the outbreak and to prepare neighboring countries for potential cases. He remarked, “This is a serious outbreak and one we know how to stop, but we need to move fast and together.”