The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that the risk of the Ebola outbreak is “high” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as well as at the regional level, but kept the global classification as “low.” In a press conference, Tedros recalled that on Sunday he declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) based on Article 12 of the International Health Regulations (IHR), after consulting the health ministers of the two African countries.
“I took this measure in accordance with the IHR, given the need to act urgently,” Tedros said. He clarified, however, that the situation does not constitute a pandemic emergency, the highest classification under the regulations. The WHO Emergency Committee, which met on Monday, agreed with the decision.
So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in the DRC, in the northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, including the cities of Bunia and Goma. “We know that the magnitude of the epidemic in the DRC is much greater,” Tedros added. Uganda reported two confirmed cases in the capital, Kampala, among people who traveled from the DRC, including one death. A case was also reported of an American citizen who worked in the DRC and tested positive, and was transferred to Germany for treatment.
“There are several factors that justify serious concern about the potential for further spread and more deaths,” Tedros stressed. In addition to confirmed cases, there are nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths. “We expect these numbers to continue to rise, given the time the virus circulated before the outbreak was detected.”
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. The WHO reported that the development of potential vaccines should take between six and nine months, according to Dr. Vasee Moorthy. The chair of the Emergency Committee, Lucille Blumberg, emphasized the urgency of mobilizing resources, additional personnel, and boosting research into countermeasures.
The WHO has already disbursed US$ 3.9 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies, with US$ 3.4 million approved this week. The organization maintains a team on the ground supporting national authorities with personnel, supplies, and equipment. Dr. Anaïs Legand highlighted the priority of establishing a response platform with safe treatment centers and appropriate patient referral pathways.
Regarding travel restrictions, Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud recommended contact tracing, isolation, and no movement of suspected cases, in addition to the controls already implemented at points of exit from the DRC and Uganda.