The World Health Organization has declared the recent outbreak of the rare Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo an international public health emergency after dozens of deaths were reported in the region. However, the agency has stopped short of labeling the outbreak a global pandemic.
According to a statement issued by the Geneva-based WHO, the Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus strain in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda will now be treated as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC).
The organization explained that while the situation is serious enough to require urgent international attention, the current scale and spread of the virus do not yet meet the criteria for declaring a pandemic-level emergency.
Health experts are continuing to monitor the outbreak closely as authorities in the affected regions work to contain the spread of the disease and strengthen emergency response measures.
