WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in Congo as 'Spreading Rapidly', Raises Risk Assessment
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is 'spreading rapidly' and has upgraded the risk assessment to 'very high' at the national level. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the outbreak, which has confirmed 82 cases and seven deaths, is much larger than previously reported, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighboring Uganda remains stable, with two confirmed cases and one death. In response, the United Nations has released $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to aid the response efforts in Congo and the region. The United States has pledged $23 million to support the establishment of up to 50 Ebola treatment clinics in the affected areas of Congo and Uganda. 
