Risk of Ebola spreading around the world is low, says Tedros Adhanom

More than 3,000 cases of the disease have been confirmed since May this year, when the current Ebola outbreak was declared. Around 1,400 people died. Most casualties were seen in the DRC, but the disease also spread to neighboring Uganda.

"The risk for the rest of the world is still low. As Ebola is transmitted through intense contact and not through the air, like Covid, we do not expect it to turn into a pandemic, due to the very nature [of the virus]", said Ghebreyesus, on a visit to Rio de Janeiro.

He recalls that, since Ebola was discovered 50 years ago, there have been only 30 cases outside the disease's outbreak regions, in Africa. The WHO director emphasizes, however, that the risk for countries in the region is high, highlighting the fact that the disease has reached Uganda.

"We are trying to contain [the outbreak] in the DRC, but the situation is still worrying. The [Congolese] government is trying its best. Partners are helping, but we need to do even more," he said. “Uganda is dealing with it [the disease] and has it under control.”

According to him, the response to the disease is being hampered by the fact that the focal region of the outbreak, in eastern Congo, is suffering from armed conflicts.

"So, the response to Ebola is very difficult. Furthermore, because of the armed conflict, there is displacement and millions of people are in camps."

Doctor Honoris Causa

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was honored this Monday, at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), with an honorary doctorate from the institution.

"Fiocruz is a leader in health equity and a leader in South-South cooperation. It is also a beacon of hope not only for Latin America, in terms of scientific research and excellence, but for the rest of the world", he said.

Tedros was elected director-general of the WHO in May 2017 and became the first African to head the planet's main health authority. During its management, the WHO coordinated international efforts to combat the covid-19 pandemic.

Born in Eritrea, he holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Asmara, in his home country, a master's degree in immunology and infectious diseases from the University of London and a PHD in community health from the University of Nottingham, also in the United Kingdom.

Back on the African continent, he was Ethiopia's health minister between 2005 and 2012, when he helped found a health system with universal coverage. Between 2012 and 2016, he served as the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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