Ebola: Global emergency declared after deadly outbreak in central Africa

‘We need to work together ... to end this outbreak and build a better health system,’ group says amid increasing Ebola outbreak

The World Health Organisation has declared the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a “public health emergency of international concern”.

A group of experts met on Wednesday to determine whether the Ebola outbreak should be declared an international emergency after the virus spread to eastern Congo’s biggest city this week.

The committee has previously declined to make the declaration – which often brings more international attention and aid – on three occasions.

This week a preacher with Ebola was identified after arriving by bus in Goma, a city of more than 2 million people and a major regional crossroads in northeastern Congo on the Rwandan border, with an international airport.

The pastor used several fake names to conceal his identity on his way to the city, Congolese officials said. WHO on Tuesday said the man had died and health workers were scrambling to trace dozens of his contacts, including those who had travelled on the same bus.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of WHO, earlier described Ebola’s spread to Goma as a potential “game changer”.

“It is time for the world to take notice and redouble our efforts,” he said in a statement announcing the classification.

“We need to work together in solidarity with the DRC to end this outbreak and build a better health system” the statement continued. “Extraordinary work has been done for almost a year under the most difficult circumstances. We all owe it to these responders – coming from not just WHO but also government, partners and communities – to shoulder more of the burden.”

But Congo’s health minister, Dr Oly Ilunga, insisted the situation was “not a humanitarian crisis”.

Moussa Sangara, Ebola response director in the DRC for World Vision, said in a statement sent to The Independent the group welcomes the announcement, “which comes at a critical time as the crisis escalates. It will unlock much needed funding to help health workers on the ground delivering life-saving aid in the midst of two wars: the fight against Ebola, and the ongoing conflict in northeastern DRC”.

“Ebola is a violent, terrifying disease,” he added. “It has already claimed thousands of lives, including hundreds of children, who make up about 30 per cent of Ebola cases.”

Meanwhile, the top US diplomat in Geneva said this week the United States will “provide more in the coming months” to help respond to the Ebola outbreak, while the European Union ambassador says the bloc will examine possibilities to scale up its response.

US Charge d’Affaires Mark Cassayre also told a UN conference on Ebola on Monday that the United States is calling on member states to increase their contributions to the response, which the WHO says is underfunded.

Nearly 1,700 people have died in Congo in the outbreak.

Additional reporting by AP