Health security

WHO says Ebola in DR Congo still qualifies as global emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo still warrants being classified as a global emergency, even though the number of confirmed cases has slowed in recent weeks.

The United Nations health agency first declared the epidemic, the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, to be an international emergency in July. On Friday, it convened its expert committee to reconsider whether the designation is still valid and decide if other measures are necessary.

WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the situation remains "complex and dangerous" and that officials must continue to treat every case like it is the first.

"Every case has the potential to spark a new and bigger outbreak," he told reporters.

To date, there have been 3,113 confirmed cases and more than 2,150 people have died since the epidemic was first declared last August.