WHO says Ebola risk high regionally, low worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a significant regional threat, while downplaying global risks. This assessment, however, has drawn criticism from some quarters, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who suggested the WHO was too slow to act. The organization, led by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, maintains that the situation, while serious with 51 confirmed cases in DRC and additional cases in Uganda and a US national, does not meet the criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) or a pandemic emergency.

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WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels, and low at the global level.

The WHO's emergency committee convened to discuss the outbreak, acknowledging the severity of the situation in eastern DRC, which is believed to have been circulating for a couple of months before detection. The priority remains to contain the spread through rigorous contact tracing and isolation of cases. The organization is working to understand the origins of the outbreak, which has led to nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, with numbers expected to rise.

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although we know the scale of the epidemic in DRC is much larger

Despite the concerns, the WHO's stance is that the global risk remains low. This contrasts with the urgency felt by some international observers, highlighting a potential disconnect in how such health crises are perceived and managed across different regions. The organization's response, particularly in light of past criticisms regarding its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, remains under scrutiny as it navigates this new public health challenge.

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There are several factors that warrant serious concern about the potential for further spread and further deaths.