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Via an emailed press release, the World Health Organization will reconvene their IHR Emergency Committee on Friday to reconsider whether the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC constitutes a PHEIC (a Public Health Emergency of International Concern).
WHO Director-General reconvenes International Health Regulations emergency committee on Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
WHO Media advisory
April 10, 2019
10 April, 2019 GENEVA: WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has reconvened an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 Emergency Committee on Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Committee will meet on 12 April in Geneva to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage the outbreak. This will be the second meeting of the committee on this outbreak (the first took place on 17 October 2018).
The Committee’s advice will be made public on WHO’s website and via a press conference (details below).
Background on the outbreak
On 1 August 2018, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in North Kivu Province. This is the tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease over the last four decades in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Ministry of Health, WHO and many partners have been responding to the outbreak since August 2018.
WHO risk assessment
The outbreak remains contained to the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri where transmission has been interrupted in many health zones. However, a rising number of security incidents have been restricting access to affected communities in key areas, for vital operations such as surveillance, case investigation, contact tracing and vaccination. Transmission has intensified in Butembo/Katwa and surrounding health zones of Vuhovi and Massereka. These factors have led to an increase in cases reported in recent weeks, after a period of decline.
Though the risk of spread within the country and to neighboring countries is very high, the risk remains low globally. WHO continues to advise against any restriction of travel to, and trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo based on currently available information.
WHEN: Friday 12 April 2019, at 19:00 GENEVA time
WHAT: Virtual Press Conference for journalists. An audio file of the press conference will be distributed to journalists shortly after the conference ends. A transcript will follow.
WHERE: Geneva-based, UN-accredited journalists can attend the press conference in-person at WHO or dial in.
It will also be broadcast via Twitter on @WHO.
Since the WHO IHR committee last considered this designation in October (see WHO IHR Committee Determines DRC Ebola Outbreak Is Not Currently A PHEIC) the number of cases has increased more than 5-fold (211 cases to 1186).
The feared expansion of the disease beyond the DRC has not occurred, and until the number of security incidents and attacks on treatment facilities escalated after the 1st of the year, there was considerable progress being made in containing the outbreak.The situation on the ground continues to deteriorate and so the IHR committee will once again review the risks, and make recommendations. We should know more on Friday.
