3,000 recover from Ebola in DR Congo: WHO

About 3,000 people have recovered from Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and returned home, thanks to the efforts of health workers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday, as the country battles its largest outbreak on record.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed deep gratitude to the nurses, doctors, community health workers, contact tracers and burial teams who he said are working under extraordinary pressure to save lives.

"Amid immense hardship, local responders and global partners, under the leadership of the government, are driving hard-won progress. Transmission is slowing in several early epicentres, and clinical trials, including the Tumaini trial and new vaccine candidates, are advancing rapidly," Tedros said in a post on the US social media platform X.

WHO declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in Congo a public health emergency of international concern six months ago.

Since then, more than 11,000 confirmed cases, including 5,400 deaths, have been recorded in 67 health zones across eight provinces.

Tedros called for safe humanitarian access and a cessation of hostilities, so health workers can reach every affected area without fear.

Noting that ending Ebola starts and ends with communities, Tedros urged Ebola responders to build trust through listening, respect and compassionate care, so people seek treatment early, when lives can be saved.

He urged donors to step up and close critical funding gaps to sustain the response, saying WHO would remain steadfast in its support for the people of Congo, working with the government and partners until zero cases remain.

Earlier this month, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya said two-thirds of the $2.9 billion in funding mobilized for the Ebola response on the continent had yet to be disbursed.