US Criticizes Slow Ebola Response; WHO Chief Cites 'Lack of Understanding'
In response to criticism from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the World Health Organization's (WHO) handling of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was 'slow,' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in Geneva on the 20th that the remarks may stem from a 'lack of understanding' of how the International Health Regulations (IHR) operate. The WHO has designated the outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, as a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' (PHEIC). There are currently 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, and efforts are focused on contact tracing to break the chain of transmission.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 21:54
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(CNA, Geneva, 20th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) stated today that U.S. criticism of the WHO's performance in responding to the deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa may be due to a 'lack of understanding' of the relevant mechanisms. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the WHO's response to the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as 'slow.' According to AFP, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva today: 'What the Secretary of State said... may be due to a lack of understanding of how the International Health Regulations (IHR) work and the associated response.' Additionally, the WHO stated today that the spread of the Ebola virus in the DRC suggests this outbreak may have started months ago. WHO viral hemorrhagic fever expert Anais Legand told the media: 'Investigations are still ongoing, and our immediate priority is to break the chain of transmission by conducting contact tracing, isolation, and caring for all suspected and confirmed cases.' According to Reuters, the WHO said today that the Ebola outbreak has now accumulated 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths. Given that the virus had been spreading for some time in the DRC and Uganda before being detected, the number of cases is likely to continue to rise. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO Emergency Committee met in Geneva yesterday and confirmed that this latest Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, constitutes a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' (PHEIC), but has not yet reached the level of a pandemic emergency. Tedros noted: 'The WHO assesses the risk of this outbreak as high at the national and regional levels, and low at the global level.' Tedros announced this emergency status over the weekend. He admitted that due to the urgency of the situation, this was the first time a WHO chief had taken this step directly without first consulting experts. Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO's Head of Emergency Public Health Events Response, stated at the same press conference: 'Our absolute priority right now is to identify all existing chains of transmission... This will allow us to truly define the scale of the epidemic and be able to provide medical care.'