WHO declares Ebola epidemic an international emergency

Source:WHO

Updated: 2014-08-08

inexperience in dealing with Ebola outbreaks; 

misperceptions of the disease, including how the disease is transmitted, are common and continue to be a major challenge in some communities;

high mobility of populations and several instances of cross-border movement of travellers with infection;

several generations of transmission have occurred in the three capital cities of Conakry (Guinea);

Monrovia (Liberia); and Freetown (Sierra Leone);

and a high number of infections have been identified among health-care workers, highlighting inadequate infection control practices in many facilities. The Committee provided the following advice to the Director-General for her consideration to address the Ebola outbreak in accordance with IHR (2005).