GENEVA, Switzerland – World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Dr Joy St John, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) urged member states to enhance disease surveillance at ports of entry and at health facilities at this stage. “It is important that the region takes on a proactive approach. Use this as an opportunity to review and strengthen your systems,” she said.
“It is time for the world to take notice and redouble our efforts. We need to work together in solidarity with the DRC to end this outbreak and build a better health system,” said Dr Tedros. “Extraordinary work has been done for almost a year under the most difficult circumstances. We all owe it to these responders coming from not just WHO but also government, partners, and communities to shoulder more of the burden.”
The declaration followed a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for EVD in the DRC. The committee cited recent developments in the outbreak in making its recommendation, including the first confirmed case in Goma, a city of almost two million people on the border with Rwanda, and the gateway to…
