IHR Emergency Committee Issues Temporary Recommendations for BDBV PHEIC

The WHO IHR Emergency Committee issued formal temporary recommendations following its first meeting, advising affected countries and all states parties on the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) epidemic. For DRC and Uganda, the Committee recommended declaring a national health emergency, establishing national coordination mechanisms, and ensuring adequate laboratory capacity. For all other states, recommendations included setting up surveillance for febrile travelers from DRC/Uganda, identifying laboratories capable of BDBV testing, and preparing isolation facilities. The Committee explicitly recommended against blanket travel and trade restrictions, consistent with IHR Article 43. WHO Secretariat assessed non-affected states' risk at 'Low,' regional risk at 'High,' and DRC national risk at 'Very High.'