World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for more international funding Thursday to combat an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The appeal comes as the health emergency worsens in a region where active conflict hinders the delivery of life-saving medical care. Without a surge in resources and security, officials warn the virus could spread further beyond current containment zones.
Tedros arrived in Kinshasa on May 28, 2026 [4] to assess the crisis. He said that the international community has secured only about one-third of the estimated funding needed to control the outbreak [3]. This financial gap limits the ability of health workers to deploy vaccines and establish treatment centers in affected areas.
Beyond funding, the WHO chief highlighted the impact of regional violence on public health efforts. He said warring parties should stop fighting to allow medical teams to reach vulnerable populations.
"Please, declare a ceasefire. Even briefly. Even just enough to let health workers through. People are dying from Ebola who ..." Tedros said [1].
The scale of the outbreak has grown rapidly. Reports indicate there are now over 500 suspected cases of the virus [2]. The toll has already reached at least 131 deaths [2].
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to struggle with the dual challenge of a deadly pathogen and persistent instability. The lack of a ceasefire prevents the establishment of safe corridors for the transport of medical supplies, and the evacuation of critically ill patients.
“Only about one-third of the estimated funding needed to control the outbreak had been secured”
The intersection of a viral epidemic and active armed conflict creates a 'syndemic' where the health crisis exacerbates the humanitarian disaster. The WHO's struggle to secure two-thirds of required funding suggests a decline in international urgency or donor fatigue, which may leave the Democratic Republic of Congo unable to stop the virus from becoming a regional pandemic.
