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According to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health (MOH), the most recent data shows the cumulative number of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases now stands at 1,220, of which 1,154 are confirmed and 66 are probable. In total, there were 772 deaths (706 confirmed and 66 probable).

Image/CDC

The meeting of the Emergency Committee for International Health Regulations, convened by the Director-General of WHO, was held this Friday, April 12, 2019.  The Emergency Committee concluded that the Ebola outbreak in the provinces North Kivu and Ituri did not constitute a public health emergency of international concern. However, the Committee expressed its deep concern about the recent increase in transmission in some areas, and thus the potential risk of spread in neighboring countries.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) released the following statement after the WHO decision:

“Whatever the official status of this outbreak is, it is clear that the outbreak is not under control and therefore we need a better collective effort. The virus has not spread to neighboring countries so far, but the possibility exists.


“What is most important now if we want to gain control of this epidemic is to change the way we are dealing with it. We need to adapt our intervention to the needs and expectations of the population, to integrate Ebola activities in the local healthcare system, to engage effectively with the communities, and to further explore promising vaccinations to strengthen prevention.

“Choices must be given back to patients and their families on how to manage the disease—for example, by allowing people to seek healthcare in their local centers rather than in an Ebola Treatment Center (ETC). We owe this to our patients.”