The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has nearly doubled within days as World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the epicentre of the outbreak in the country's east, urging communities to play a leading role in containment efforts.
Authorities reported 225 confirmed cases by Friday, up sharply from 121 two days earlier, while more than 1,000 suspected cases and over 220 suspected deaths have also been recorded.
The outbreak, centred in Ituri province, is linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The disease has also spread beyond the DRC's borders, with neighbouring Uganda reporting nine confirmed cases and one death.
Tedros arrived in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, after meeting Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka in Kinshasa.
He stressed the importance of local participation in efforts to contain the outbreak, saying communities were best positioned to understand the challenges they faced.
The WHO has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, while Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) described the situation as "deeply alarming" and warned that the response had not kept pace with the speed of transmission.
MSF said new suspected cases were being reported daily and that the true scale of the outbreak remained unclear.
Health officials have expanded testing, contact tracing and monitoring, helping identify infections that might otherwise have gone undetected.
A laboratory in Bunia can now process samples within 24 hours, significantly reducing delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Containment efforts have been complicated by years of insecurity in eastern DRC, where health workers have faced attacks from armed groups and local militias.
Tensions have also emerged over strict burial protocols intended to prevent further transmission.
Regional governments have increased precautions as the outbreak expands.
Uganda and Rwanda have closed their borders with the DRC, while the United States has imposed restrictions on most travellers recently arriving from DRC, Uganda or South Sudan.
The European Union has delivered medical supplies to Ituri, and Washington has pledged more than $112 million in support.
Despite the challenges, the outbreak recorded its first confirmed recovery this week, while WHO and partner countries continue assessing experimental treatments and a candidate vaccine.