The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said the Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is moving faster than current response efforts, warning that health teams are now “playing catch-up” as suspected deaths continue to rise.

According to a Reuters report, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak had reached 220 suspected deaths.

Speaking during an online African Union meeting on Monday, Tedros said delayed detection of Ebola cases had complicated containment efforts and increased the likelihood that the situation could worsen before improving.

WHO has already classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to the rapid spread of the rare Bundibugyo strain and the absence of an approved vaccine for it.

Tedros also announced that he would travel to Congo alongside WHO emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu to support frontline response operations. The outbreak has heavily affected the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where ongoing insecurity continues to disrupt healthcare access and surveillance efforts.

WHO’s latest emergency briefing also warned that neighboring countries remain at high risk of cross-border transmission. Read WHO statement

Uganda on Monday confirmed two additional Ebola infections, raising its total confirmed cases to seven as authorities increase monitoring near shared border regions with Congo.

Health workers in eastern Congo are also facing mounting operational challenges after attacks on treatment facilities and the escape of infected patients disrupted response measures in Ituri province.

Public health experts say unsafe burials, community distrust and insecurity remain among the biggest obstacles to containing the outbreak, echoing challenges seen during previous Ebola crises in eastern Congo.