WHO chief arrives in DRC promising Ebola outbreak ‘can be stopped’

The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be stopped, the World Health Organization (WHO) head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said as he arrived in Kinsasha. Tedros landed in the DRC on Thursday evening and was due on Friday to travel to Ituri province in the north-east, where the epidemic is centred . “That thing can be stopped,” Tedros said, adding that the WHO did not support travel bans to combat the outbreak because they “don’t help much”. “Together, we will overcome this outbreak,” he said earlier, vowing to do “everything in my power to help you”. The WHO has recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in the DRC since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, out of more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases, according to its figures up to 24 May, the latest available. The true spread of the virus is likely much wider as it is thought to have circulated under the radar for some time, the WHO has warned. This is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the big central African country, which has a population of more than 100 million people. Complicating medical relief efforts, the epidemic is centred in a mineral-rich region fought over by armed groups . “Conflict and displacement make everything harder,” Tedros said. “I am making a direct appeal to all warring parties in this region: please, declare a ceasefire. …