WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo international health emergency

The World Health Organization today declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a public health emergency of international concern. In making the recommendation to WHO, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for EVD in the DRC cited recent developments in the outbreak, including the first confirmed case in Goma, a city of almost 2 million people on the border with Rwanda. “It is time for the world to take notice and redouble our efforts,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We need to work together in solidarity with the DRC to end this outbreak and build a better health system.”