WHO chief says fast-moving Ebola epidemic is outpacing response efforts

May 25 (Reuters) - The head of ​the World Health Organization said on Monday ‌that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, giving the ​latest number of suspected deaths as 220.

Addressing ​an online meeting of the African Union about ⁠the outbreak, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ​said a delay in detecting Ebola cases meant responders ​were now "playing catch-up" and the epidemic was likely to get worse before it gets better.

Tedros said he would travel ​to Congo - the epicentre of the outbreak - on ​Tuesday with another senior WHO official responsible for addressing health ‌emergencies, ⁠Chikwe Ihekweazu.

Earlier on Monday neighbouring Uganda reported two more Ebola cases, taking its total number of confirmed cases to seven, and Tedros said other countries bordering ​Congo were at ​high risk ⁠and should take immediate action.

The WHO has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo ​strain of Ebola a public health emergency ​of ⁠international concern.

Tedros said containing the fast-moving outbreak was complicated by the fact that Congo's Ituri and North Kivu ⁠provinces were ​highly insecure and there were ​no approved vaccines for Bundibugyo virus.