(AGENPARL) - Roma, 2 Settembre 2026 - Wednesday, 2 September 2026
Exclusive in-person press conference for Geneva-based journalists
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hosted a special briefing for reporters accredited to the UN Geneva and the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations (ACANU) on 2 September at WHO HQ.
Post-presser links:
Speech: WHO Director-General's opening remarks, 2 September [ Video file: [ (length: 1h31min)Audio file: [ (length: 1h31min)News edit: [ (length:7min05sec)
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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is already the second-largest on record, and the fastest-moving that we have ever seen.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Yesterday the epidemic passed 6000 reported cases, and today it reached 3000 deaths. It now affects 60 health zones in six provinces, covering a huge geographic area. The province of Ituri remains the epicentre, accounting for 85% of cases and 88% of deaths.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Most concerningly, the majority of deaths are still happening in communities rather than in treatment centres; Many of those who die are not being buried safely, which is fuelling transmission; And many deaths are among people who were not on a list of known contacts. That means there are chains of transmission we don't know about. Until every chain is found and broken, the epidemic will continue; And it will continue to pose a threat to DRC, its neighbours, and the region as a whole.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
The epidemic cannot be separated from the humanitarian context in which it is occurring. This part of the DRC has suffered for decades from conflict, displacement, poverty and hunger.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
One community leader, during my visit, asked me why the world seems to care about Ebola, but not about diarrheal disease, or malaria, or malnutrition, or conflict. It's a fair question. All of this has contributed – understandably – to mistrust on the part of the local population. Earning and keeping community trust and community ownership is the single most important element in changing the trajectory of the epidemic.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Although we face many challenges, there are also many positives. WHO is working under the government's leadership, and in partnership with Africa CDC and many others, to scale up every part of the response.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
WHO has shipped more than 330 tonnes of emergency supplies, and deployed more than 300 experts. Laboratory capacity has expanded from one national reference lab to a network of 24 laboratories closer to affected communities. Testing capacity has expanded to 3000 tests per day. Treatment and isolation capacity has expanded to over 1300 beds across 49 treatment facilities; And we plan to triple bed capacity to 3000 beds in the next three months.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
WHO and partners are also accelerating trials of vaccines and therapeutics.
A trial of two treatments – called PARTNERS – has now enrolled more than 300 Ebola patients;
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
And another trial is testing the antiviral obeldesivir among people considered high-risk contacts of cases, to see whether that drug is effective in preventing disease after exposure to the virus. Two new vaccines against Bundibugyo virus are now in safety trials in the U.K. and Canada.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
There is also an approved vaccine against Zaire ebolavirus – the species responsible for most previous Ebola outbreaks – but we do not know whether it is effective against Bundibugyo virus. Yesterday, WHO published emergency guidance on the use of this vaccine during outbreaks of Bundibugyo. WHO is working with partners to progress all three vaccines to efficacy trials in DRC, starting in October or November.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Now to Gaza, where the humanitarian emergency continues to deepen, with major public health risks growing as winter approaches.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Most people remain displaced in overcrowded tented camps. Overflowing sewage, accumulating waste and limited access to safe water are creating increasingly dangerous conditions. Water contamination is increasing, and cases of acute watery diarrhoea have nearly doubled this year. With the onset of rains, flooding is likely to spread sewage and contaminated water through densely populated areas, increasing the risk of disease.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Gaza's already overwhelmed health system is not equipped to manage these surges. WHO continues to support disease surveillance and preparedness, but urgently needs access to critical laboratory and diagnostic supplies that remain restricted.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
More than 6,600 people now require long-term rehabilitation and prosthetic or orthotic services following limb amputations. Although assistive devices such as wheelchairs and crutches have entered Gaza, WHO has not been allowed to send prosthetic and rehabilitation equipment into Gaza for more than two years. As a result, only a small proportion of those who have lost limbs have received prosthetic devices.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
We again call for the unimpeded and expedited entry of essential medicines, rehabilitation equipment and public health supplies at the scale required to meet the needs of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Meanwhile, thousands of people urgently need medical treatment that is not available in Gaza. On Monday this week, WHO supported the medical evacuation of five children from Gaza to Romania and Belgium, with 14 companions. We call for the reopening of patient referral to health facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
END.
