WHO Declares Ebola Emergency in Congo as Disease Spreads to Goma

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially declared the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This decision follows the confirmation of a case in Goma, a city of over two million people situated on the Rwandan border, a critical regional hub for trade and transport.

This marks the fifth time the WHO has issued such a declaration, intended to galvanise a more robust international response to the outbreak, which began in August 2018. Over 2,500 cases have been reported, resulting in more than 1,600 fatalities, primarily in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

Critics, however, suggest the declaration is belated, particularly given the sustained transmission and repeated instances of the virus appearing in densely populated areas. Previous outbreaks, notably the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, demonstrated the devastating consequences of delayed international action.

The current response has been hampered by ongoing armed conflict in the eastern DRC, which complicates access for health workers and erodes trust among affected communities. Western nations, while offering financial and logistical support, have primarily focused on containing the disease rather than addressing the underlying instability that facilitates its spread. The declaration now necessitates heightened surveillance and preparedness in neighbouring countries, particularly those with significant cross-border movement from the DRC.