WHO chief heading to Ebola-hit DR Congo

Hinzugefügt: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]Japan and the Philippines have said on Thursday that they would begin talks on an agreement to share classified information to allow Tokyo to step up transfers of military equipment to Manila including warships. Tokyo and Manila have been steadily upgrading defense and security ties in response to China's growing influence in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

[00:00:20]Japan recently scrapped long-standing restrictions on combat equipment exports, a change expected to benefit the Philippines.

[00:00:27]During his four-day visit, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos has sought closer alignment with Japan, dovetailing with his supposed to shore up security partnerships with the United States and its allies.

[00:00:42]The world is stepping up efforts to contain and prevent the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa as the World Health Organization's chief is heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[00:00:52]Humanitarian agencies are also increasing support while the US has announced an $80 million commitment for response efforts in Congo and Uganda.

[00:01:01]Ritesh Kumar reports.

[00:01:06]>> [music] [music] >> The World Health Organization has intensified its response after a deadly Ebola outbreak spread across the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[00:01:23]WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is heading [music] to the Ebola-hit region along with health teams and emergency workers pledging to do everything in power to help contain the outbreak. In a message to people in the conflict-hit Ituri province of Congo, where more than 90% [music] of cases have been reported, Tedros said the outbreak was among the most devastating in history because it is unfolding amid armed conflict. The WHO chief warned that the current outbreak caused by the Ebola Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. Still, he expressed confidence that the outbreak can be defeated. The WHO has recorded 10 [music] confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola-related deaths in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared in mid-May with more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases reported so far.

[00:02:17]Meanwhile, Africa CDC officials in a press briefing on Thursday confirmed that Ebola cases in neighboring Uganda have increased to eight, raising concerns about cross-border transmission. The WHO, along with Congo's National Medical Research Organization, has scaled up Ebola diagnostic capacities to strengthen laboratory networks, provide real-time data, and rapidly [music] identify confirmed cases.

[00:02:44]Humanitarian workers on Thursday unloaded medicines, protective equipment, and emergency supplies from cargo planes at Bunia Airport in Eastern DR Congo as global aid efforts intensified. UNICEF emergency chief, Jerome Kouachi, said nearly 100 tons of humanitarian supplies would arrive over eight days through an air bridge from Nairobi. India has also sent emergency pharmaceutical supplies, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and infection prevention materials to support affected communities in Eastern DR Congo. Africa CDC praised India for its continued commitment to strengthening health security across Africa. As WHO declared Ebola a public health emergency and warned of a high risk [music] of international spread, countries around the world have tightened travel and surveillance measures. India has launched screening and surveillance [music] measures at airports and other entry points, while Thailand has announced mandatory 21-day quarantine measures for travelers arriving from or through affected regions.

[00:03:49]Meanwhile, Kenya has approved the establishment of a US supported Ebola quarantine and treatment facility on its soil as global efforts intensify to prevent a wider outbreak. Bureau report, DD India.