KINSHASA: The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a “public health emergency of international concern,” a rare designation only used for the gravest epidemics. The Ebola virus is highly contagious and has an average fatality rate of around 50 percent. Responders had hoped that this Ebola outbreak would be easier to control, thanks in part to a new vaccine. The Goma patient has been described as an evangelical preacher who travelled to Goma from Butembo, one of the towns hardest hit by Ebola. “We hope there will be greater transparency and accountability by humanitarian actors in how they use their funds to respond to this Ebola outbreak,” he said in a statement.

Source: Pakistan Today July 17, 2019 23:03 UTC