In accordance with international regulations, he consulted with the health ministers of both nations to take measures to counteract the effects of the disease.

Adhanom clarified that he had determined the situation did not constitute a pandemic emergency, the highest classification according to health standards.

“The situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, but not a pandemic emergency,” the WHO Director-General emphasized.

To date, 51 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, including the cities of Bunia and Goma.

In Uganda, two confirmed cases were reported in the capital, Kampala, including one death, among two people who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition to the confirmed cases, there are nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, and these factors justify serious concern about the potential for further spread and more fatalities.

In his message, he reiterated that the epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the Ebola virus for which there are no vaccines or approved treatments, hence the emphasis on compliance with measures to curb its spread.

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