WHO HOPES TO WORK WITH U.S. ON EBOLA IN CONGO.

GENEVA/ZURICH The World Health Organization hopes to work “side by side” with the United States to contain an outbreak of Ebola in Congo, its chief said on Wednesday, despite their differences over the new coronavirus.

President Donald Trump said last month he was ending the U.S. relationship with the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

But WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had met U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar last week. The meeting appeared to be the first sign of highlevel co-operation between Tedros and the Trump administration since the president said he was cutting ties.

“We had a very good discussion with the secretary as of last week and he assured me of U.S. continued commitment to support in the fight especially against Ebola,” Tedros said.

The WHO said on Monday 12 people had been infected with Ebola in the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tedros said the meeting with Azar did not mean the WHO was receiving money directly from Washington.