00:00You will have seen that yesterday, the World Health Organization said that the Ebola outbreak
00:04in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of
00:09international concern, highlighting the high risk of further spread and the likelihood that the
00:14outbreak may be larger than currently detected. The outbreak involves the Bundabugyo strain of
00:20the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no licensed vaccines or specific therapeutics.
00:24The outbreak is centered in the province of Ituri, where more than 482 suspected cases have
00:29been reported since April, including eight confirmed cases and around 116 deaths among
00:34suspected cases across several health zones. Testing of suspected cases is ongoing. A case
00:42was also confirmed yesterday in Goma in the province of North Kivu, raising concerns about
00:46potential spread in a densely populated urban area. We, alongside humanitarian partners, are
00:52supporting the government-led Ebola response. WHO is supporting national efforts through,
00:57among other things, the deployment of technical expertise and rapid response teams. Yesterday,
01:03more than five tons of WHO medical supplies, along with experts, were airlifted to Ituri by
01:08the World Food Programme to reinforce response efforts. We and our humanitarian partners warn
01:13that insecurity, population movements, and displacement are significantly complicating surveillance, contact
01:19tracing, and response efforts in a context already marked by violence, food insecurity, and severe
01:26needs. Nearly 9 million people across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu are facing
01:34crisis or worse levels of hunger, further straining fragile health systems, while only 30% of required health
01:40funding has been mobilized. We call on the international community to urgently scale up support for both the
01:46Ebola response and the broader humanitarian response in the DRC. Without immediate action,
01:51life-saving assistance will not reach those most in need, and critical humanitarian gains risk being
01:56reversed. The $1.4 billion humanitarian needs and response plan for the DRC is currently 34% funded,
02:04with $478 million received.
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