The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a global health emergency. The WHO Director-General consulted with the two nations, determining the outbreak meets the criteria of a "public health emergency of international concern."
As of Saturday, around 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths have been reported across DRC's Ituri Province, with eight laboratory-confirmed cases. Two additional lab-confirmed cases were reported in Uganda's capital, Kampala, and one in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC.
The WHO stated there are "significant uncertainties" regarding the true number of infected persons and geographic spread, and noted "limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases." The agency said the outbreak does not meet pandemic criteria.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring the situation, working with authorities for a rapid, coordinated response to interrupt transmission and reduce cross-border spread.