WHO declares Ebola international emergency
8 Aug 2014
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes an “extraordinary event”, says World Health Organization (WHO) committee.
WHO director general Margaret Chan has confirmed the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is now considered a major public health emergency of international concern.
The WHO International Health Regulations Emergency committee met via teleconference on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Ebola is an infectious disease that can be contained. This is not a mysterious disease. It can be stopped
WHO committee member Keiji Fukuda
Via several updates posted to the WHO’s social media account on Twitter, Chan said this is the largest Ebola epidemic in almost 40 years.
The WHO emergency committee now fears that the consequences of the Ebola virus spreading beyond western Africa are “particularly serious”.
To combat this, the WHO committee is urging a coordinated international response as essential in reversing, and effectively ending, the spread of Ebola.
WHO committee member Keiji Fukuda said: “Ebola is an infectious disease that can be contained. This is not a mysterious disease. It can be stopped.”
Countries are being advised to screen all of those travelling for signs of Ebola, whereas areas of intense transmission are being told to dramatically reduce the movement of all people.
However, Fukuda says there should be no general ban on international travel or trade due to Ebola, other than Ebola cases and contacts.
A WHO statement on the meeting of the international health regulations emergency committee can be found here.
