World

Risk of Ebola global spread is low, but high at regional levels, WHO says

The head of the World Health Organisation has said the risk of spread of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is high at national and regional levels – but low at the global level.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said so far 51 cases have been confirmed in DR Congo in the northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, “although we know the scale of the epidemic is much larger”.

He said Uganda has also told the UN health agency of two confirmed cases in the capital, Kampala.

“Beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected,” he said.

“We expect those numbers to keep increasing.”