The declaration is meant to induce further international aid for fighting the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at a time when the global sense of urgency about the virus has waned. The announcement comes days after a new case appeared in the city of Goma, near the Rwandan border.
“The government of the DRC is doing everything they can,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general. “They need the support of the international community. That includes the financial support,” Dr. Tedros added, estimating the response could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The outbreak has already cost $233 million, according to Dr. Mike Ryan, who leads the WHO’s Ebola response. Several countries and nonprofit groups have pledged tens of millions of dollars in donation money to aid the DRC, but much of that money has not arrived yet.
The DRC outbreak has infected 2,512 people and killed 1,676 since it began 11 months ago.
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