The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)” after hundreds of suspected cases were reported.

The WHO said the development followed reports of 246 suspected cases and over 80 deaths linked to the disease in the DRC as of May 16.

The WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the authorities of Uganda and the DRC were consulted before the declaration. 

He, however, noted that the outbreak “does not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency, as defined in the International Health Regulations (IHR).”

Mr Ghebreyesus described the outbreak as “extraordinary,” noting that the WHO assessed data from both countries, available scientific evidence, and risks of further spread.

He noted two laboratory-confirmed cases in Kampala, Uganda, including one death among travellers from the DRC.

Mr Ghebreyesus cited “unusual clusters of community deaths” and infections in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces of the DRC, with notable symptoms of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).

“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time,” he said. “In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases.”

He warned of a potentially much larger outbreak than what was currently being detected and reported with significant local and regional risk of spread.

The director-general noted that rising insecurity, humanitarian crises, weak healthcare systems, absence of vaccines, and high population mobility could worsen the risk of spread.

“The event constitutes a public health risk to other states parties through the international spread of disease,” he said, adding that, “International spread has already been documented.” 

“Neighbouring countries sharing land borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considered at high risk for further spread due to population mobility, trade and travel linkages, and ongoing epidemiological uncertainty.”

It called for international cooperation to strengthen surveillance, prevention, control measures, and response efforts.

Mr Ghebreyesus will convene an emergency committee soon to provide state parties with advice and recommend response measures.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also on Friday warned of a high risk of further spread due to urban settings, population movement, mining activities, insecurity, and proximity to Uganda and South Sudan.