The WHO extended the qualification of the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday as an international emergency, despite a recent drop in the number of cases deemed " extremely positive " and a downward revision of the threat level.
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" The epidemic must continue to be an international public health emergency ," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus told reporters after a meeting of disease specialists in Geneva. " As long as there is only one case of Ebola in a dangerous and unstable region like eastern DRC, the potential exists for a much larger epidemic ," added Dr Tedros. He hoped that this emergency status could be lifted in three months, on the occasion of a new opinion from the committee of international experts on this disease.
WHO had adopted this qualification of emergency of international scope last July for this epidemic, a decision regularly submitted to a committee of specialists. It allows reinforced measures to be taken in terms of travel restrictions or fundraising. The Ebola epidemic broke out in August 2018 in the locality of Mangina, and is raging in the regions of North Kivu and Ituri. About 2,300 deaths have been recorded. Dr. Tedros said Tuesday " very encouraged " by " the downward trend " of cases recorded in the past few days while remaining cautious about the future.
" As long as we don't have a case for 42 days, it's not over, " he said, referring to the safety period corresponding to twice the incubation time. The head of the WHO said he would go to the DRC on Thursday to meet President Félix Tshisekedi and talk in particular about strengthening the country's health system.
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