The World Health Organization (WHO) announced late Saturday that the Ebola outbreak originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now classified as an international public health emergency. This decision highlights concerns about the virus’s spread, particularly as cases related to travel have emerged in Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
The rapid declaration of this emergency is unusual, as African health officials had only confirmed the outbreak the day before, on Friday. Adding to the atypical nature of this announcement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the declaration without consulting an expert panel, known as an emergency committee, beforehand.
Tedros revealed to STAT that this was the first instance of such a declaration being made without the emergency committee’s recommendation. The WHO plans to convene the committee as soon as possible to provide guidance on managing the outbreak.
The International Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response supported Tedros’ prompt decision.
The group, co-chaired by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, stated, “His decision to proceed ahead of convening a formal Emergency Committee reflects the gravity of the situation and the need for immediate global mobilization.”
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. There is limited experience in managing this specific strain, as only two other outbreaks have been documented, and no licensed vaccines or treatments are available for it.
As of Saturday, there have been eight confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths in the remote Ituri province of the DRC, which shares borders with South Sudan and Uganda.
This region was previously affected by the second largest Ebola outbreak in history from 2018 to 2020, resulting in 3,470 cases and 2,287 deaths, caused by the Zaire ebolavirus. The ongoing conflict in this area further complicates response efforts, and the movement of people across borders increases the risk of spread.
The two cases identified in Kampala involved individuals who had traveled from the DRC, with no apparent connection between them, suggesting separate virus introductions into Uganda. An update from WHO on Sunday indicated that there is currently no sign of ongoing transmission within Uganda.
Furthermore, earlier reports of a case in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, were refuted after confirmatory tests on a sample returned negative results, according to WHO.
At least four health care workers have died from suspected cases over a span of four days, according to WHO. The initial suspected case was a health care worker in Bunia who developed symptoms on April 24 and later died. The three-week gap between this case and the outbreak’s confirmation implies a low level of clinical suspicion among healthcare providers, highlighting significant shortcomings in infection prevention, stated the global health agency.
WHO warned of signs indicating the outbreak could be larger than currently reported, posing a substantial risk of regional spread. The emergency declaration was issued early Sunday morning in Geneva.
A public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), pronounced “fake,” can be declared when there is a high risk of cross-border disease spread, necessitating international cooperation to control the threat. This declaration permits the WHO director-general to issue temporary recommendations for countries on addressing the issue.
Declaring a PHEIC raises the issue’s profile globally, potentially aiding funding efforts for health problems, although this is not guaranteed. WHO is currently facing a budget crisis, partly due to the U.S. withdrawal from the agency during the Trump administration.
Helen Branswell contributed reporting.
