Pope Leo on Sunday called for stronger international action to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the disease has reportedly killed more than 2,500 people.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Sunday prayer, Leo expressed concern over the worsening outbreak and urged the international community to work with local communities to prevent further infections and deaths.
“In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly claiming many lives,” the pontiff said.
“I urge the international community to respond in a way that also involves local communities in prevention efforts to save as many lives as possible,” he added.
The outbreak has spread across a wide area of the central African country, with United Nations officials reporting a rapid increase in infections and deaths.
The current outbreak is the DRC’s 17th Ebola epidemic and, in late July, became the country’s largest on record in terms of confirmed cases, surpassing the previous outbreak from 2018 to 2020.
The worsening situation has prompted renewed calls for international assistance as health authorities work to contain the spread of the virus and protect affected communities.
The World Health Organization has also urged measures to support efforts to control the outbreak as cases continue to rise.
