His call came as Ugandan authorities confirmed on Saturday that there were three new cases of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which to date has neither a cure nor a vaccine.
“The three new cases include a Ugandan health worker, a driver and a Congolese national who traveled from Ituri province in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC) for medical care,” Tedros said in a social media post. “This brings the total number of people in Uganda who have tested positive for Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus to five.”
WHO is working with the Africa Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and partners in the DRC and Uganda to contain the outbreak, support affected people and help coordinate the response. On Friday, the WHO raised the national risk assessment for the DRC to “very high” – although the global risk remains low.
Cross-border cooperation is important
In Kampala, Uganda, WHO held a two-day high-level ministerial meeting on cross-border coordination in response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.
In an address to ministers from South Sudan, DRC and Uganda, Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO’s Africa Director for Preparedness and Response, the need to strengthen and sustain cross-border cooperation to contain the outbreak.
She warned that delays in response could have serious consequences and stressed that stronger monitoring and preparedness systems are critical because “time saves lives” during outbreaks.
Sustained financial contribution
The Director-General appealed to Member States to continue to increase assessed financial contributions to ensure that WHO remains strong, independent and able to respond to future global emergencies.
He also stressed that global agreements must translate into practical action that protects local communities, limits outbreaks quickly and ensures that health care reaches vulnerable populations.
“Every nation is healthier and safer when all nations are healthier and safer,” he said.
