DRC Ebola Outbreak Does Not Warrant Emergency Declaration, WHO Committee Decides; Agency Calls For More Funding, ‘Vigorous Response’

Financial Times: WHO calls for extra funds to contain Ebola outbreak
“The World Health Organization has urged the international community to provide $26m to contain a growing outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo or risk a much larger bill if the epidemic spreads…” (Aglionby, 5/19).

Science: Despite spread to port city, Congo Ebola outbreak isn’t an international emergency yet, WHO says
“The Ebola outbreak underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is still too limited in scope to warrant a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a special status that would allow the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue far-reaching recommendations to stop it. That was the conclusion [Friday] of a high-level WHO advisory group…” (Cohen, 5/18).

U.N. News: DR Congo Ebola outbreak not yet a global ‘health emergency,’ but strong response to disease vital — U.N. health experts
“…But the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee advised the Congolese government and all other actors to remain engaged in a ‘vigorous response’ and called on the international community to support efforts on the ground. ‘Without this, the situation is likely to deteriorate significantly,’ read the Public Health Advice issued by the committee, which also called for global solidarity among the scientific community and for international data to be shared freely and regularly…” (5/18).

Additional reporting on the WHO Emergency Committee’s decision is available from CNN, HuffPost, New York Times, NPR, STAT, Science Speaks, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.

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