British health care worker with Ebola evacuated from DR Congo to UK: World Health Organization

WHO official says Congo, UK authorities showed ‘exemplary cooperation in facilitating safe medical evacuation of the patient’

A British health care worker infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been medically evacuated to Britain for "specialized care," an official with the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday. The patient was reportedly deployed in Congo by a humanitarian organization to help support the response to the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi wrote on US social media platform X that Congolese authorities and the UK showed “exemplary cooperation in facilitating the safe medical evacuation of the patient with Ebola disease.” He hailed health workers in Congo, saying their professionalism, dedication and compassionate care supported the patient prior to the transfer. “While the patient continues to receive treatment in the UK, DRC health authorities remain fully vigilant. Contact tracing, surveillance and other public health measures are ongoing to monitor and contain any potential risk of further transmission,” said Janabi. The “WHO remains committed to supporting national authorities in protecting public health, strengthening outbreak response efforts, and preventing the spread of disease.” It is the latest evacuation after Switzerland last month evacuated an Ebola patient from Nigeria for treatment. France reported its first imported case in June, involving a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in Congo. The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Congo has crossed 10,000, including more than 5,000 deaths since the outbreak in May, according to government data.