The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa is significantly larger than official figures suggest. The UN health agency estimates the true scale could be two to four times the number of confirmed cases.

The outbreak is concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with 20 confirmed cases detected in neighboring Uganda. Official data shows nearly 2,000 infections and over 700 deaths.

WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu stated at a Geneva briefing that the outbreak is at least two to four times larger than recorded cases, with many infections going unreported.

Ihekweazu revealed that the WHO has received less than half of the $115 million (€100 million) needed for the first six months of the response. He stressed that the DRC cannot bear this burden alone.

After a week-long visit to the DRC, Ihekweazu noted that the virus spread continues to outpace response efforts. Alarmingly, many new cases are individuals who died in their communities without seeking hospital care.

The WHO is combating myths about hospital treatment, emphasizing that intravenous fluids and oxygen improve survival rates. The Bundibugyo strain, first discovered in Uganda, has no cure or vaccine.

The US regime has imposed travel restrictions: US citizens in the DRC must undergo 21-day quarantine in a third country before returning, while non-citizens who visited the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan are banned from entering the US.

Source: www.dw.com