WHO chief heads to Congo as Ebola cases surpass 1,000

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday he is traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo amid the country's latest Ebola outbreak.

"Ebola is back," he said in a post on US social media platform X. "I will be on the ground with our WHO teams, partners, and the extraordinary health workers who have never stopped fighting."

He added that eastern Ituri province was "bearing the brunt" of the outbreak and that Congo's government has been leading the response.

The WHO chief stressed that the Congo has repeatedly succeeded in overcoming Ebola outbreaks in the past.

"Sixteen times, this country has defeated Ebola. The 17th will be no different," Tedros said. "But we must act now, together."

The number of suspected Ebola cases in Congo has surpassed 1,000 amid a surge across eastern provinces, according to a situation report released Wednesday by the Health Ministry.

The cumulative number of suspected cases stands at 1,077, with 121 confirmed cases as well 17 confirmed Ebola deaths since the outbreak was declared on May 15, the report showed.

Congolese authorities have suspended social activities in Ituri, the epicenter of the outbreak, including sports, to prevent the spread of Ebola.

Seven confirmed cases and one death have so far been recorded in neighboring Uganda, which on Wednesday closed its border with Congo.