This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
As of October 18, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) has maintained a public health emergency for an additional three months, citing the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over the lack of funding, stating, "This outbreak remains a complex and dangerous outbreak," during a press conference.
The WHO has declared a global health emergency four times: in 2009 for the Swine flu virus, in 2014 for polio, in 2014 for the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, and in 2016 for the Zika virus.
Despite a decline in cases over the past four weeks, the WHO remains cautious, with Adhanom Ghebreyesus warning, "The area is a very complex area, it's a very volatile area. We have made very significant progress, the number of cases have plummeted. But if there is insecurity incidents, we may lose what we have gained so far."
Over 230,000 people have received a vaccine developed by Merck Sharp and Dohme since the outbreak began, and a second experimental vaccine is set to be introduced in November.
