WHO Categorizes West African Ebola Outbreak as International Concern
In August 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This outbreak, which began in December 2013 in Guinea, affected multiple countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, leading to approximately 1,700 reported cases and 930 deaths by that time. The WHO's declaration followed the advice of its Emergency Committee, which highlighted serious risks of international spread and stressed the need for a coordinated global response to contain the outbreak.
The committee made several recommendations to mitigate the crisis, such as declaring national emergencies in affected countries, activating disaster management protocols, and ensuring local communities were involved in health measures like contact tracing and risk education. They also emphasized the importance of well-equipped diagnostic labs and treatment centers close to transmission areas, and the training of healthcare workers in infection prevention.
To prevent further international spread, measures included restricting travel for confirmed Ebola cases, daily monitoring of contacts, and screening at international travel points. The outbreak garnered significant attention when a New York City physician, who had treated Ebola patients in Guinea, tested positive for the virus, illustrating the outbreak's potential impact beyond West Africa.
WHO Categorizes West African Ebola Outbreak as International Concern
WHO Categorizes West African Ebola Outbreak as International Concern
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement on August 8, 2014, declaring the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD, or “Ebola”) outbreak in West Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The Ebola outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013 and involved transmission in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. As of August 2014, these West African countries had reported approximately 1700 cases of and 930 deaths from Ebola, the largest outbreak ever recorded.
Director-General Dr. Chan convened a meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee by teleconference on August 6-7, 2014. The committee advised the Director-General that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa constituted a public health risk, that the consequences of international spread were serious, and that a coordinated international response was deemed essential to stop and reverse the spread of Ebola.
The committee also made the following recommendations:
Heads of states with Ebola transmission should declare a national emergency.
National disaster/emergency management mechanisms should be activated.
Health ministers should assume leadership roles in coordinating and implementing emergency measures.
Local communities should play a central role in case identification, contact tracing, and risk education.
Diagnostic laboratories and treatment centers should be situated near areas of transmission.
Health care workers should receive education and training on infection prevention and control (IPC), including the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and appropriate medical commodities should be made available.
Quarantines should be used as necessary in areas of intense transmission.
Mass gatherings in areas of transmission should be postponed.
Funerals and burials of Ebola victims should be conducted by well-trained personnel.
To minimize the risk of international spread of Ebola, the committee stated that (1) no international travel of Ebola cases or contacts should be allowed, except for medical evacuation; (2) confirmed cases should be isolated and treated in Ebola Treatment Centers with no travel until two diagnostic tests conducted 48 hours apart are negative; (3) contacts should be monitored daily, with restricted travel until 21 days after exposure; (4) screenings of all people at international airports, seaports, and major land crossings should be conducted, and any person with an illness consistent with Ebola should not be allowed to travel, except for medical evacuation. They suggested as well that crews and staffs of airlines should receive appropriate medical care.
Craig Spencer, a Doctors Without Borders physician who had been treating Ebola patients in Guinea, was the first person in New York City to test positive for the Ebola virus. He was admitted to Bellevue Hospital Center, where he was treated with an experimental drug and recovered. He was released in November 2014 when he was no longer considered a public health risk.