WHO chief heads to Ebola epicentre - as Brazil investigates suspected case

The World Health Organisation (WHO) chief has visited the province hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), urging residents to seek treatment and practice safe burials.

The virus is spreading faster than the response, something WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed earlier this week before travelling to the capital Kinshasa on Thursday.

His visit came as Brazil ​said on Saturday it was investigating a suspected Ebola case in Sao Paulo state involving a man who recently travelled to the DRC.

Authorities ​said he was in isolation at a specialist hospital.

After meeting Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka on Friday, Mr Tedros ⁠flew on Saturday to Bunia, capital of the eastern Ituri province, where the first cases were confirmed earlier this month.

Mr Tedros, speaking at a news conference alongside the DRC's health minister, ​said the rare Bundibugyo strain has no approved treatments or vaccines, so early palliative care - including isolation, rehydration and pain management - is vital.

He advised residents to practice safe burials, noting Ebola victims' bodies are highly contagious.

"I understand how painful it is to lose someone and how much it means to honour them properly," he said.

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There have already been multiple attacks ​on health facilities by crowds looking to reclaim bodies for traditional burials, which do not feature the necessary protective equipment.

The WHO said ​on Friday there were 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the DRC, including 223 suspected deaths under investigation.

Health minister Samuel Roger Kamba said later on Friday that authorities had identified 1,028 suspected cases, with 225 confirmed.

Ebola ​cases have been ⁠confirmed in three of the country's provinces and in neighbouring Uganda, which this week shut its border with the DRC.

Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death, the country's health ministry said on Friday.

Health officials and aid workers in the DRC say they are still without even basic supplies such as masks after the outbreak spread undetected for weeks.

The number of ​medical organisations on the ground and the level ​of support are still far from what is ⁠required, Dr Alan Gonzalez, deputy director of operations at medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, said in a statement.

Mr Tedros called for more international support upon arrival at Kinshasa on Thursday, noting that the WHO had received only about a third of the funding it needs.

The DRC's experience with Ebola, including a small outbreak last year, would help contain the disease, ​Mr Kamba said, adding that neighbouring countries should keep borders open.

"The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced Ebola before, 16 times, and has ended every outbreak. This is the 17th. That history gives me real confidence," Mr Tedros said.

(c) Sky News 2026: WHO chief heads to Ebola epicentre - as Brazil investigates suspected case