Dr Ghebreyesus visited the Butembo region along with Dr Matshidiso Moeti. It was in Butembo on April 19 that WHO epidemiologist Dr Richard Mouzoko was killed by armed men while he and colleagues were working on the response to what is the second-worst outbreak of Ebola in history. Dr Ghebreyesus said: “Dr Mouzoko’s death moved me profoundly.
I am profoundly worried about the situation
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
“On this mission, he was on my mind the whole time as we met with other dedicated colleagues.
“I am also profoundly worried about the situation. Cases are increasing because of violent acts that set us back each time. We have already begun to adjust our response.
“We are entering a phase where we will need major shifts in the response. WHO and partners cannot tackle these challenges without the international community stepping in to fill the sizeable funding gap.”
Dr Ghebreyesus and Dr Moeti travelled to the region to express their gratitude and show support to WHO and partner organisation staff, while also assessing the next steps needed to strengthen both security and the Ebola response effort.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "worried" about the situation (Image: WHO)
During their visit they also met with local political, business and religious leaders, and called on them to accelerate their efforts to
