WHO Director-General Urges Action on Ebola Outbreak and Pandemic Preparedness

Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, warned on Saturday that recent Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks show the world remains vulnerable to rapidly spreading infectious diseases. He spoke at the close of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Ugandan authorities confirmed three new cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus on Saturday. The cases involve a health worker, a driver, and a Congolese national who traveled from Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for medical care.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Uganda to five.

On Friday, WHO raised the national risk assessment for the DRC to very high while the global risk remains low. A two-day high-level ministerial meeting on cross-border coordination was held in Kampala. Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO Africa's Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, stressed the need to strengthen surveillance and preparedness systems, noting that time saves lives during outbreaks.

The Director-General appealed to Member States to increase assessed financial contributions to keep WHO capable of responding to future emergencies. He said global agreements must translate into practical action that protects communities and contains outbreaks quickly. "Every nation is healthier and safer when all nations are healthier and safer," he said.