The World Health Organisation has cautioned that a recent decline in reported Ebola cases across several African nations masks a deeper, unreported crisis. In a briefing released today, the WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, stated that surveillance systems are overwhelmed, with many cases going undetected in remote communities.
The organisation estimates that actual infection rates could be up to three times higher than official figures suggest. Dr. Moeti emphasised that the apparent drop is largely due to reduced testing capacity and community reluctance to engage with health workers, rather than genuine progress against the virus.
The WHO is calling for increased international support to bolster local healthcare infrastructure and ensure accurate data collection. Without such measures, the current lull could precede a more severe outbreak, particularly in regions with porous borders and weak health systems. The warning comes as several governments in West and Central Africa have scaled back containment efforts, citing declining case numbers.
The WHO urges renewed vigilance and a focus on community-based surveillance to prevent the disease from regaining a foothold.
