This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
On July 17, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern, a rare designation only used for the gravest epidemics.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus invoked the emergency provision, citing the advice of his advisory board. This decision marks the fifth time the WHO has invoked this provision, following previous declarations for the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, the spread of poliovirus in 2014, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, and the Zika virus surge in 2016.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies welcomed the decision, stating that while it does not change the reality on the ground for victims or partners engaged in the response, it hopes to bring international attention to the crisis.
According to the WHO's international health regulations, drafted in 2005, the international emergency label should apply to a situation that is serious, unusual, or unexpected, carries implications for public health beyond the affected state's national border, and may require immediate international action.
As of August 1, more than 1,600 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
