WHO director-general visits Ebola-affected areas: ‘Time to move fast’

“Of course there are different scenarios, but it’s in our hands. If we move quickly, they will catch up. If we don’t, it’s going to be a very serious problem. Now is the time to move really fast.” A dire warning from the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) as we approach Ituri, the center of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and more than 200 suspected deaths have been reported here. Because there is no vaccine or treatment for the virus species that fuels the outbreak, health officials say immediate efforts must focus on containment. It’s not easy. Testing capacity is still very low. There is a shortage of protective supplies. Both quarantine facilities and the overall health infrastructure in the region are lacking. “We can’t tell them what the problems are. Ebola is one of them, but there are many problems and we need to listen to them.” This is not the first Ebola outbreak in Congo, and in a ray of hope, officials said at least one health worker had been discharged from hospital after recovering earlier this week. But international commitments to fund their response are not enough. The WHO director-general said only a third of the needed funds had been delivered. “Do you think the world is moving fast enough right now?” “I’m starting to understand it now, but I don’t think it’s enough yet.”