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Geneva, Switzerland , June 15, 2019
Thank you, Dr Aavitsland,
Good evening from DRC.
I would like to thank Dr Aavitsland for his leadership of the Emergency Committee, and all the members of the committee, as well as the advisors and those who made presentations. As you have heard, the Emergency Committee has recommended for a third time, and I have agreed, that the current Ebola outbreak in DRC does not constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
Although the outbreak does not at this time pose a global health threat, I want to emphasise that for the affected families and communities, this outbreak is very much an emergency. Today I have been in Kinshasa to discuss the current Ebola outbreak with the Prime Minister of DRC, the Minister of Health, opposition leaders, donors and others.
Tomorrow I will travel to Goma and Butembo, to meet with our incredible staff and partners who are on the frontline of this outbreak. I will also be traveling to Uganda to assess the situation. Since the outbreak started last August, there have been 2108 cases of Ebola, and 1411 deaths. This is tragic.
Although the spread of Ebola to Uganda is tragic, it is not a surprise. We have said since the beginning of the outbreak that the risk of cross-border spread was very high, and it remains very high. The fact that it has taken this long is a testament to the incredible work of all partners on both sides of the border.
I particularly want to commend the Government of Uganda for the way it has responded. So far, the investments they have made and the plans they have put in place to prepare for Ebola are paying off.The spread of Ebola to Uganda is a new development, but the fundamental dynamics of the outbreak haven’t changed. www.healthysoch.com
We have the people, the tools, the knowledge, and the determination to end this outbreak. We need the sustained political commitment of all parties, so we can safely access and work with communities. We also need the international community to step up its financial commitment to ending the outbreak.
WHO’s current funding needs for the period from February to July are 98 million U.S. dollars, of which 43.6 million dollars has been received, leaving a gap of 54 million dollars. We call on all our partners to fill this gap as soon as possible.
I will not hesitate to convene it again if needed.
Thank you.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Director-General
IHR Emergency Committee on EVD DRC North Kivu
