An Emergency Committee (EC) regarding yellow fever was convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR 2005) by teleconference on 19 May 2016, from 13:00 to 17:15 Central European Time.
The following affected States Parties participated in the information session of the meeting: Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The WHO Secretariat briefed the Committee on the history and impact of the Yellow Fever Initiative, the urban outbreak of yellow…
WHO joins the government of Sierra Leone in marking the end of the recent flare-up of Ebola virus disease in the country. As of today, 17 March, 42 days have passed, two incubation cycles of the virus, since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease in the country tested negative for a second time.
This latest flare-up of Ebola brings to 3 590 the number of lives lost in Sierra Leone to an epidemic that devastated families and communities across the country and disrupted every…
WHO statement - 15 January 2016
A new case of Ebola has been confirmed in Sierra Leone, reflecting the ongoing risk of new flare-ups of the virus in affected countries.
The Sierra Leone government acted rapidly to respond to this new case. Through the country’s new emergency operations centre, a joint team of local authorities, WHO and partners are investigating the origin of the case, identifying contacts and initiating control measures to prevent further transmission.
WHO stressed in a…
Brazzaville, 24 October 2015 – Today, we celebrate a very special World Polio Day and a historic moment in the WHO African Region, one without a case of wild polio virus in over a year. The day comes just days before the official ceremony with the President of Nigeria to take the country off the polio endemic list. The day is a true testament of what political will, government leadership and the collective efforts of partners can achieve when united behind a global public health good.
The…
Today, 3 September 2015, WHO declares Liberia free of Ebola virus transmission in the human population. Forty-two days have passed since the second negative test on 22 July 2015 of the last laboratory-confirmed case. Liberia now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance.
Liberia’s ability to effectively respond to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease is due to intensified vigilance and rapid response by the government and multiple partners. Transmission had been declared over previously…
West Africa is experiencing the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history. Ebola outbreaks can be contained using available interventions like early detection and isolation, contact tracing and monitoring, and adherence to rigorous procedures of infection control. However, a specific treatment or vaccine would be a potent asset to counter the virus.
Over the past decade, research efforts have been invested into developing drugs and vaccines for Ebola…
Meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) concerning Yellow Fever
WHO statement on the end of the Ebola flare-up in Sierra Leone
New Ebola Case in Sierra Leone; WHO continues to stress risk of more flare-ups
Statement by the WHO Regional Director for Africa on World Polio Day 2015: A tribute to polio successes in Africa
Ebola transmission in Liberia over. Nation enters 90-day intensive surveillance period
Ethical considerations for use of unregistered interventions for Ebola virus disease (EVD)