{"id":1860,"date":"2026-05-29T02:43:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T02:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/29\/who-chief-arrives-in-drc-promising-ebola-outbreak-can-be-stopped\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T02:43:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T02:43:53","slug":"who-chief-arrives-in-drc-promising-ebola-outbreak-can-be-stopped","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1860","title":{"rendered":"WHO chief arrives in DRC promising Ebola outbreak \u2018can be stopped\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"86abf217-619c-4381-a933-7ecff736b182\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gestures with his hands while seated in a crowded room\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9d2e7b5906939a62e3aff880583e2fd50b82499f\/441_0_4583_3667\/master\/4583.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.06087715470215\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization head, after arriving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Ebola has killed hundreds.<\/span> Photograph: Arsene Mpiana\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"86abf217-619c-4381-a933-7ecff736b182\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization head, after arriving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Ebola has killed hundreds.<\/span> Photograph: Arsene Mpiana\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">WHO chief arrives in DRC promising Ebola outbreak \u2018can be stopped\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus heads for Ituri province where epidemic is centred and calls for halt to fighting that hampers medical relief efforts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The deadly Ebola outbreak in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/congo\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a> can be stopped, the World Health Organization (WHO) head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said as he arrived in Kinsasha.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tedros landed in the DRC on Thursday evening and was due on Friday to travel to Ituri province in the north-east, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/may\/28\/medical-staff-ebola-frontline-congolese-doctors-nurses-disease\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">where the epidemic is centred<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThat thing can be stopped,\u201d Tedros said, adding that the WHO did not support travel bans to combat the outbreak because they \u201cdon\u2019t help much\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cTogether, we will overcome this outbreak,\u201d he said earlier, vowing to do \u201ceverything in my power to help you\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"6ac3645c-99cd-42a4-921a-3d0ba488f710\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-4 | 4\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-ak3j0c\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/may\/28\/medical-staff-ebola-frontline-congolese-doctors-nurses-disease\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">\u2018Among the things he feared most was death\u2019: the doctors and nurses dying on the Ebola frontline<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The WHO has recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ebola\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ebola<\/a> deaths in the DRC since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, out of more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases, according to its figures up to 24 May, the latest available.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The true spread of the virus is likely much wider as it is thought to have circulated under the radar for some time, the WHO has warned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">This is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the big central African country, which has a population of more than 100 million people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Complicating medical relief efforts, the epidemic is centred in a mineral-rich region <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/27\/who-chief-tedros-calls-for-drc-ceasefire-ebola\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">fought over by armed groups<\/a>. \u201cConflict and displacement make everything harder,\u201d Tedros said. \u201cI am making a direct appeal to all warring parties in this region: please, declare a ceasefire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cNo cause, no conflict, no grievance is worth condemning innocent people to death from a preventable disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">No vaccine or treatment yet exists for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/17\/what-is-ebola-why-who-says-drc-uganda-outbreak-global-health-emergency\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Bundibugyo strain of Ebola causing the current outbreak<\/a>. The WHO said on Thursday that its advisory groups had recommended clinical trials for vaccines and treatments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The head of the African Union\u2019s health agency, Jean Kaseya, said on Thursday that a vaccine should be ready by the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Neighbouring Uganda, with one recorded death from Ebola and six additional cases, announced it was shutting its border with the DRC with immediate effect.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The US said it would deny entry to anyone infected and was working to open a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/27\/trump-administration-ebola-quarantine-kenya\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">treatment facility for affected US citizens in Kenya<\/a>. A Kenyan rights group has gone to court seeking to limit operations at any such facility, while health officials have warned it could burden Kenya\u2019s stretched health system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years. The deadliest outbreak in the DRC claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of 3,500 cases between 2018 and 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The WHO said it had received 4.6 tonnes of aid at the airport in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, while Unicef, the UN children\u2019s agency, said it was sending 100 tonnes of aid to the DRC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>With Agence France-Presse<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/ebola\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Ebola<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/congo\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/world-health-organization\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">World Health Organization<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=WHO%20chief%20arrives%20in%20DRC%20promising%20Ebola%20outbreak%20%E2%80%98can%20be%20stopped%E2%80%99&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/29\/who-chief-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus-drc-ebola-outbreak-epidemic?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Fmay%2F29%2Fwho-chief-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus-drc-ebola-outbreak-epidemic&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/may\/29\/who-chief-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus-drc-ebola-outbreak-epidemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization head, after arriving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Ebola has killed hundreds. Photograph: Arsene Mpiana\/Reuters View image in fullscreen Tedros Adhanom &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1860\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}