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| Credit WHO Uganda |
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Earlier today (see Uganda Reports 2 More Ebola-Positive Cases (ttl=3),
we learned that the 5 y.o. who was diagnosed yesterday had died, and at least two of his relatives with him in Uganda have tested positive for the Ebola virus.
Yesterday, the Director-General of the World Health Organization - Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus - tweeted that the IHR Emergency Committee has been asked to be on standby.A short while ago, via an email from the WHO, we learned that the IHR committee has been asked to meet on Friday to consider whether the outbreak should be considered a PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern), and what steps should be taken next.
WHO Director-General reconvenes International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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 14 June 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 third meeting of the committee on this outbreak (the first took place on 17 October 2018 and second on 12 April 2019).
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.
On June 11, the Ugandan Ministry of Health confirmed a case of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda
Details on Virtual Press Conference
WHEN: Friday 14 June 2019, at 18:00 GENEVA time (estimated, according to closing of the Emergency Committee)
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.
