- The World Health Organization(WHO) has declared the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern.
- Public health emergency is defined as an extraordinary event that is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and it requires a coordinated international response.
- The public emergency announcement is the highest level of alarm that is only raised during the gravest of outbreak.
- Ebola virus disease(EVD) formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe often fatal illness in humans.The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
- Ebola initially causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat.It progresses to vomiting, diarrhoea and both internal and external bleeding.Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure.