GENEVA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the "scale and speed" of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, saying an emergency committee would meet later in the day to issue temporary recommendations.
Addressing the 79th World Health Assembly, Tedros said he had declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for the Ebola outbreak in the two countries on Sunday, marking the first time a WHO chief had done so without first convening an emergency committee.
"I did not do this lightly," Tedros said, noting the decision was made under Article 12 of the International Health Regulations after consultations with the health ministers of both countries. "I am deeply concerned about the scale and the speed of the epidemic."
Tedros said the DRC's province of Ituri had reported 30 confirmed cases, while Uganda confirmed two cases in the capital Kampala, including one death involving travelers from the DRC.
U.S. authorities also reported one confirmed case involving an American citizen who was transferred to Germany, he said, noting WHO is working closely with the DRC, Uganda and the United States.
Tedros outlined major concerns over the outbreak.
Beyond confirmed infections, he said, more than 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths have been reported, with numbers expected to change as surveillance and testing expand. Cases have also emerged in urban centers, including Kampala in Uganda and the city of Goma in the DRC, while deaths among health workers indicate healthcare-associated transmission.
He also warned that intensified conflict and large-scale displacement in Ituri province could accelerate the spread of the disease in a region with heavy population movement.
Conflict in the province has intensified since late 2005, with fighting escalating significantly over the past two months and resulting in civilian deaths. More than 100,000 people have been newly displaced, Tedros said.
The WHO chief noted that the outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola for which no approved vaccines or therapeutics currently exist, though countries could still curb transmission through measures including risk communication and community engagement. ■
