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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 demanding an “extraordinary” response, only the third declaration of its kind since regulations permitting such alarms were adopted in 2007. LONDON — Faced with the worst known outbreak of the Ebola virus with almost 1,000 fatalities in West Africa, the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency on Friday demanding an “extraordinary” response — only the third such declaration of its kind since regulations permitting such alarms were adopted in 2007.
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. Officials in Geneva, moreover, said that the outbreak was moving faster than efforts to control it. The body stopped short of saying there should be general international travel or trade bans because of the outbreak, but acknowledged that the outbreak, already in its sixth month, was far from being contained.
“The likelihood is that things will get worse before they get better,” Keiji Fukuda, the W.H.O.'s head of health security, was quoted as saying in news reports. “We are fully prepared for the outbreak to be at a high level for a number of months.” “This is the largest, most severe, most complex outbreak in the nearly four decade history of the disease,” Margaret Chan, the W.H.O.'s director general told a press conference at its Geneva headquarters. “I am declaring the current outbreak of the ebola virus disease a public health emergency of international concern,” she said.
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. “Countries affected to date simply don’t have the capacity to manage an outbreak on this scale on their own,” she added.
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 nine cases have also been reported in Nigeria, where one person has died after traveling from Liberia. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the W.H.O.'s head of health security, said that “things will get worse for a while,” and “we are fully prepared for addressing this for some months.”
The W.H.O. urged all states experiencing transmission of the disease to declare a state of emergency and to screen all people leaving at international airports, seaports and land crossings and prevent travel by anyone with an illness consistent with the Ebola virus to prevent its spread. But it did not recommend a ban on travel to or from places with outbreaks because of the low risk of infection. “We don’t believe a general ban on that kind of travel makes any kind of sense at all,” Dr. Fukuda said.
The declaration was apparently supposed to display 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. Most of the cases are in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but nine cases have also been reported in Nigeria, where one person has died after traveling from Liberia.
The total number of confirmed, probable and suspected cases, including the fatalities, stood at 1,711.The total number of confirmed, probable and suspected cases, including the fatalities, stood at 1,711.
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.“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.
“It was the unanimous view of the committee that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern have been met,” the body declared.
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 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. listed a series of worrisome factors in the spread of the disease — “the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries.” The W.H.O. listed a series of worrisome factors in its spread — “the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries.”
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. The W.H.O. made similar emergency declarations to counter swine flu 2009 and polio in May. But public health experts say the declaration on polio has not reversed or slowed its international spread.
In dealing with the Ebola crisis, the W.H.O. said on Friday, stricken countries faced an array of challenges, with “fragile” health services backed by few resources, and inexperienced personnel confronting “misperceptions” of the disease among highly mobile populations. “A high number of infections have been identified among health-care workers, highlighting inadequate infection control practices in many facilities,” the statement added.In dealing with the Ebola crisis, the W.H.O. said on Friday, stricken countries faced an array of challenges, with “fragile” health services backed by few resources, and inexperienced personnel confronting “misperceptions” of the disease among highly mobile populations. “A high number of infections have been identified among health-care workers, highlighting inadequate infection control practices in many facilities,” the statement added.
But the body also said the disease could be contained. “This is not a mysterious disease,” said Mr. Fukuda in a telephone briefing with journalists. “This is an infectious disease that can be contained. It is not a virus that is spread through the air.” But the body also said the disease could be contained. “This is not a mysterious disease,” Dr. Fukuda said in a telephone briefing with journalists. “This is an infectious disease that can be contained. It is not a virus that is spread through the air.”
Margaret Chan, the director-general of the W.H.O., told reporters that “the outbreak is moving faster than we can control it.” Ms. Chan said she hoped that Friday’s declaration will “galvanize” the most senior leaders of all countries to act. “It cannot be done by the ministries of health alone,” she said.
She said she hoped that Friday’s declaration will “galvanize” the most senior leaders of all countries to act. “It cannot be done by the ministries of health alone,” she said. Also on Friday, news reports said a suspected case of Ebola had been detected in Uganda, the first such report from East Africa. A traveler from South Sudan was isolated with Ebola-like symptoms of fever and physicians are awaiting the results of tests, airport officials were quoted as saying. Uganda’s last known outbreak of Ebola was in 2012. Earlier suspicions that Ebola had reached Uganda in late July were dismissed as a false alarm.
Also on Friday, news reports said a suspected case of Ebola had been detected in Uganda, the first such report from East Africa. A traveler from South Sudan had been isolated with Ebola-like symptoms of fever and physicians were awaiting the results of tests, airport officials were quoted as saying. Uganda’s last known outbreak of Ebola was in 2012.
Earlier suspicions that Ebola had reached Uganda in late July were dismissed as a false alarm.
In Europe, a Spanish citizen. the only known European to contract the disease, has been flown home from Liberia for medical attention. The European Union said on Friday that the risk to Europeans remained “extremely low.”In Europe, a Spanish citizen. the only known European to contract the disease, has been flown home from Liberia for medical attention. The European Union said on Friday that the risk to Europeans remained “extremely low.”