The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived on Saturday in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, which is facing a severe Ebola outbreak.

He traveled to Ituri after meeting Congolese officials in the capital, Kinshasa. Tedros is expected to visit a treatment center and meet local authorities, health workers and affected families in Bunia, the provincial capital.

DR Congo has registered at least 1,077 suspected cases of Ebola since the outbreak was declared on May 15, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is believed to have led to the deaths of at least 246 people.

The outbreak is centered in the country's northeast, a war-torn area bordering South Sudan and Uganda, which closed its border this week. At least nine cases have been confirmed in Uganda, with one death reported in Kampala.

Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated objects. Symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. The WHO has warned that the outbreak's reach may be much wider.

The response has been hampered by cuts to international development aid, and the WHO's own funds have been limited after the US regime withdrew from the body in January. Eastern DR Congo has also been grappling with armed conflict for three decades.

Tedros emphasized the importance of international cooperation and community ownership. "The international community is involved under the leadership of the government of DRC — and at the same time community ownership is important," he told reporters.

He urged countries to reconsider border closures, saying they "only discourages transparency." DR Congo is reporting the situation openly, he added.

Source: www.dw.com