The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it has received less than half of the money it needs to fight the Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the Democratic republic of Congo DRC. Health experts are asking countries and international donars not to stop helping because the outbreak has reached a very important stage.

WHO ask for 115 million to respond to the outbreak, But so far it has received only about 40% of that amount. The money is needed to provide medical care. Test people for the virus trace people who may have been exposed and educate communities about how to prevent the disease from spreading. This Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundiburgo strain a type of Ebola virus for which there is no approved vaccine or proven treatment. This makes the outbreak more difficult more difficult to control than some pervious Ebola outbreaks

According to the Congolese government at least 1926 people have been infected and 702 people have died. However WHO believes the real number of case may be at least twice as high and possibly even more than four times the official figures. Many people in remote areas may not be tested or reported.so the actual number of infections could be much higher

Dr. Chikwe lhekweazu who leads WHO's Health Emergencies programmer recently visited Etruria Province one of the areas most affected by the outbreak. He said the response has reached a critical point because new Ebola cases have now appeared in two more provinces. This means the virus is continuing to spread instead of slowing down.

Dr. ihekweazu compared the Ebola response to running a marathon. He explained that the works cannot stop helping just because the outbreak has lasted for a long time. He said countries must continue providing support until disease is fully controlled.

Health workers are working hard to find infected people quickly isolated patients provide treatment and safety bury those who die from the disease. These actions help reduce the spread of the virus but they required trained staff medical equipment, protective clothing laboratories and transportation. All of these depend on enough funding

WHO has warned that the Democratic Republic of Congo should not have to fight this outbreak alone. The organisation is calling governments, charities, and international partners to provide more financial support. With enough resources health workers can respond faster protect more communities and save many lives. WHO says that continued global cooperation is essential to bring the Ebola outbreak under control before it spread even further.