WHO To Reconvene IHR Emergency Committee On Ebola In DRC

Credit WHO

#14,189



For the 4th time in less than a year - and the second time in just over a month - the WHO will convene their IHR Emergency Committee on Ebola in the DRC to consider the response going forward, and whether it should be declared a PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern). 

Although the committee has declined recommending a PHEIC declaration 3 times since the outbreak began last August , recent events, including the first case reported in the heavily populated city of Goma and the murder of two Ebola responders in their home in Beni, have raised new concerns. 

Details of tomorrow's IHR Committee meeting were emailed to journalists a short time ago:

WHO Director-General reconvenes International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO Media advisory

July 16, 2019

16 July, 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 17 July, 2019, in Geneva from 12 midday, to ascertain whether the ongoing outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and what recommendations should be made to manage the outbreak. This will be the fourth meeting of the committee convened to review 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 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Eastern DRC

On 1 August 2018, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 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 DRC Ministry of Health, WHO, other UN -organizations, nongovernmental organizations and many partners have been responding to the outbreak since August 2018.

WHAT: Virtual press conference (VPC) for journalists. An audio file of the press conference will be distributed to journalists shortly after the conference ends. A transcript will follow.

WHEN: 17 July, 2019 at 19:00 GENEVA time

WHERE: Geneva-based, UN-accredited journalists may attend the press conference in person at WHO, Geneva. All journalists may dial in (see dialling information below). It will also be broadcast via Twitter on @WHO.