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W.H.O. Declares Ebola in West Africa a Health Emergency W.H.O. Declares Ebola in West Africa a Health Emergency
(35 minutes later)
LONDON — The World Health Organization on Friday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency, only the third declaration of its kind since regulations permitting it to do so were adopted in 2007. LONDON — The World Health Organization on Friday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency demanding an “extraordinary” response, only the third declaration of its kind since regulations permitting such alarms were adopted in 2007.
But it said there should be no general international travel or trade bans because of the outbreak. But the body, based in Geneva, stopped short of saying there should be general international travel or trade bans because of the outbreak, and the impact of the announcement was not immediately clear.
The declaration represented a newly aggressive stance by the health organization. In the past, it has often bent to pressure from member states demanding no consequences even as epidemics raged inside their borders and sometimes slipped over them. The declaration nonetheless reflected a newly aggressive stance by the health organization. In the past, it has often bent to pressure from member states demanding that there be no consequences even as epidemics have raged inside their borders and sometimes slipped over them.
According to figures released by the W.H.O. this week, the virus has claimed 932 lives since March, the worst known outbreak suince it was identified almost four decades ago. Most of the cases are in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but five has also been reported in Nigeria, where one person has died after traveling from Liberia. According to figures released by the W.H.O. this week, the virus has claimed 932 lives since March, the worst known outbreak since Ebola was identified almost four decades ago. Most of the cases are in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but five have also been reported in Nigeria, where one person has died after traveling from Liberia.
The total number of cases, including the fatalities, stood at 1,711.The total number of cases, including the fatalities, stood at 1,711.
The W.H.O., based in Geneva, said all states where the disease had been trasmitted should declared national emergencies, as some of the stricken countries already have done. The W.H.O., based in Geneva, said all states where the disease had been transmitted should declare national emergencies, as some of the stricken countries already have done.
“A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola,” the W.H.O. said in a statement after a two-day meeting of its emergency committee on Ebola, according to Reuters. “A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola,” the W.H.O. said in a statement after a two-day meeting of its emergency committee on Ebola.
The statement called the spread of the disease an “extraordinary event,” describing the potential consequences as “particularly serious.” There is no licensed protocol of treatment or vaccine to halt the disease.
The W.H.O. made similar emergency declarations to counter swine flu 2009 and polio in May. But, according to experts, the declaration on polio has not reversed or slowed the international spread of that disease.