UN health chief warns of ‘very high’ risk of Ebola spread

GENEVA — The head of the United Nations health agency said the risk that the Ebola virus will spread remains “very high.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was speaking Monday at the start of the annual assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) where issues like anti-microbial resistance, universal health care, and WHO reform are among the topics up for discussion.

Ghebreyesus noted that the current Ebola outbreak, which is the second deadliest on record and has been confirmed to have taken nearly 1,100 lives, is so far contained to two provinces of eastern Congo that are wracked by violence by armed groups.

He said the outbreak was “one of the most complex health emergencies any of us have ever faced.” /kga