WHO emergency committee meets on Ebola after new case in DRC
PTI, Apr 14, 2020, 6:50 PM IST
Geneva: The WHO said its emergency committee would meet Tuesday to discuss whether the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo still constitutes an international health emergency after fresh cases were detected.
The meeting comes a day after DR Congo had been expected to announce that the outbreak in the east of the country that began in August 2018 was over.
The epidemic has killed 2,276 people to date. For it to be declared over, there have to be no new cases reported for 42 days – double the incubation period.
But as the World Health Organization’s emergency committee met last Friday to determine whether its declaration of a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern or PHEIC, could be lifted, a new case was reported.
“We now have three cases, two people who have died, one person who is alive,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters in a virtual briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
She said that all of the contacts of those cases had been traced and vaccinated and were being followed closely.
DR Congo health authorities announced Friday that a 26-year-old man was listed as having died from the disease, and a young girl who was being treated in the same health centre passed away on Sunday.
Both died in the city of Beni, the epicentre of the outbreak.
Due to the shifting situation, the WHO decided to reconvene its emergency committee to again evaluate whether or not the outbreak still constitutes an international health emergency, Harris said.
It was scheduled to announce its decision later Tuesday.
DR Congo has meanwhile started a new 42-day countdown to declare an end to its 10th epidemic of the deadly haemorrhagic fever disease.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
China says talks on Tibet only with Dalai Lama’s representatives; rules out dialogue on autonomy
Indian-origin man shot, killed by San Antonio police amid attempts to apprehend him
2 Indian restaurants in Colorado duped investors of USD 380K: Officials
WATCH: 5 runaway military horses cause mayhem in London
Don’t blame Dubai’s freak rain on cloud seeding
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Patanjali Foods to evaluate proposal to buy Patanjali Ayurved’s non-food business
Congress to discuss candidates for Amethi, Raebareli seats on Saturday
BJP’s CT Ravi Booked for Promoting Hatred and Enmity Through Social Media Post
Elections held in 14 LS segments in Karnataka, voter turnout nearly 64 per cent till 5 pm
‘PM is scared, may even shed tears on stage’: Rahul Gandhi’s fresh salvo at Modi