Democratic Republic of the Congo WHO emergency committee meets on Ebola
The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened its emergency committee following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. This was announced by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva.
19.05.2026, 11:31
SDA
The independent experts familiar with the disease want to draw up recommendations this afternoon on how to deal with the outbreak. Tedros had already declared an emergency of international scope due to the outbreak.
The rare Bundibugyo variant of the virus has been detected in Congo. According to the latest information, there are 131 suspected Ebola deaths and 513 suspected Ebola cases. According to the WHO, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the variant.
Emergency declared for the first time without a committee recommendation
The committee normally meets as soon as a threat becomes apparent. The head of the WHO usually waits for the committee's advice on whether an emergency should be declared. According to the WHO, this was the first time that he had done so without the committee.
This was because he considered the situation to be so urgent that he did not want to wait.
The declaration of an emergency is not intended to stir up panic, said a WHO spokesperson in Geneva. Rather, it is intended to inform countries that there is an urgent problem and to strengthen cooperation.
