Experts call for emergency declaration on Ebola in Congo - Action News
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Experts call for emergency declaration on Ebola in Congo

World Health Organization urged to reconsider declaring the Ebola outbreak in Congo a public health emergency of international concern.

The outbreak, declared just over six months ago in Congo's east, is the world's second largest on record

Philimon Paluku, a health promoter with the Swiss NGO Medair demonstrates to traditional healers how to use protective gloves when they examine patients, as part of an Ebola prevention campaign near Beni in North Kivu province, Congo. (Kate Holt/Medair/Associated Press)

An international group of public health experts have called on The World Health Organization to convene an emergency committee and consider declaring Congo's Ebola outbreak an international public health emergency.

The group of experts wrote in the Lancet Monday that such a call would help galvanize "high-level political, financial, and technical support to address the Ebola outbreak that started last May."

The outbreak, declared just over six months ago in Congo's east, is the country's tenth and the world's second largest recorded. Instability, dense populations, political instability and mass displacement have contributed to the spread.



WHO said Monday it is closely monitoring the situation and if they see signs that would require an expert committee, the director general will call a meeting. WHO in October convened an emergency committee.