DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (INTELLIHUB) — The World Health Organization has designated Ebola a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” as the deadly virus threatens all of humanity.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom on July 19 accepted the Emergency Committee’s recommendation which reinforces that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Statement from the WHO website:

The decision was based on the recent developments in the outbreak, including the geographical expansion of the virus. The declaration of the PHEIC is not a reflection on the performance of the response team but rather a measure that recognizes the possible increased national and regional risks and the need for intensified and coordinated action to manage them. The Committee and WHO do not recommend any restrictions on travel or trade, which can hamper the fight against Ebola by affecting the movement of people and supplies. Further information, including temporary recommendations advised by the Emergency Committee, is available in the statement, speech by WHO Director-General, and news release.

Current statistics on Ebola in the DRC:

Related Articles:

Jut as we warned a month ago, the World Health Organization said today - following a meeting of experts - that the deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo has become an international public health emergency. More than 1,600 people have died since August in the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which is unfolding in a region described as a war zone.

World Health Organization (WHO) officials released new staggering numbers this week on the death toll from central Africa's latest deadly Ebola virus outbreak.  Confirmed deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 1,536 since the outbreak began there a little under a year ago. And by July 7, a total of 2,418 what are deemed confirmed and probable cases have been reported, Bloomberg said, citing the WHO's latest report on the outbreak.