The WHO on Friday said that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) — which spilled into Uganda this week — is an “extraordinary event” of deep concern, but does not yet merit being declared a global emergency.
The UN health agency convened its expert committee for the third time to assess the outbreak, which some experts have said long ago met the criteria to be designated an international emergency.
The outbreak, the second-deadliest in history, has killed more than 1,400 people since it was declared in August last year.
Three members of a family who carried the virus into Uganda have died after attending the burial of an infected relative, a popular pastor, in the DR Congo.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, acting committee chair Preben Aavitsland announced that the outbreak is “a health emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” but that the situation should not be declared a global one.
For such a declaration, an outbreak must constitute a risk to other countries and require a coordinated response. A declaration typically triggers more funding, resources and political attention.
Aavitsland said that the committee was “deeply disappointed” that the WHO and the affected countries have not received the funding needed to stop the outbreak and delivered a blunt message to donors: “Step up.”
The WHO has said that US$54 million is needed to stem the outbreak.
Declaring an emergency could have “unintended consequences,” such as airlines stopping flights or governments closing borders, Aavitsland said.
“It was the view of the committee that there is really nothing to gain by declaring a [global emergency], but there is potentially a lot to lose,” he said.
The outbreak, occurring close to the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, has been like no other. Mistrust has been high in a region that had never faced Ebola before and attacks by rebel groups have undermined aid efforts. Several health workers have been killed.
Congolese Minister of Public Health Oly Ilunga told reporters that the WHO’s decision to not declare the outbreak a global emergency was a testament to the country’s response efforts, which he called “effective.”
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