WHO IHR Emergency Committee Convenes First Meeting on BDBV Outbreak

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened the first meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease epidemic in DRC and Uganda. The Committee, meeting in Geneva, aligned with the DG's determination that the event constitutes a PHEIC but does not yet meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency. Discussions focused on temporary recommendations for DRC, Uganda, and other member states. Key issues included the absence of any licensed vaccine or therapeutic specifically targeting Bundibugyo virus, the expanding geographic footprint across DRC provinces, and the unique challenge of the first-ever urban Kampala cases. The Committee's recommendations were formally issued on May 22.