ASTMH Responds to the WHO’s Declaration of the Ebola Outbreak as a Global Health Emergency

Arlington, Va. (July 18, 2019) – ASTMH welcomes the WHO’s declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a global public health emergency. The declaration will help to mobilize the additional support necessary for the men, women and children who are suffering from this disastrous and devastating disease, and for the brave health workers and researchers striving tirelessly to stop it. 
  
This new case in Goma is one more of the many warnings of the powder-keg nature of this Ebola outbreak. The West African Ebola outbreak in 2014 was a demonstration of how interconnected we all are. Every country must pay attention to this fragile situation and do more to find solutions to this public health crisis. With new vaccines and the scientific tools available, the WHO’s declaration is a significant step in the right direction. 
  
“While the progress we’ve seen in developing new drugs and vaccines against Ebola is remarkable, we need to make further biological breakthroughs and match them with a political breakthrough,” said ASTMH President Chandy C. John, MD, MS, FASTMH. “ASTMH is eager to work with decision-makers and government leaders in a worldwide collaborative effort to end this outbreak and prevent future outbreaks. As tropical infectious disease experts, we know what is at stake here. We believe it is past time to work together to bring this terrible outbreak to an end.”