Media Home
UN Web TV
UN PhotoUnifeed
WHO / EBOLA UPDATE
STORY: WHO / EBOLA UPDATE
TRT: 3:45
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 JUNE 2019, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
14 JUNE 2019, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, meeting room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Although the outbreak does not at this time pose a global health threat, I want to emphasise that for the affected families and communities, this outbreak is very much an emergency.”
3. Med shot, people in meeting room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Although the spread of Ebola to Uganda is tragic, it's not a surprise. We have said since the beginning of the outbreak that the risk of cross border spread was very high and still remains very high. The fact that it has taken this long (to spread) is a testament to the incredible work of all partners on both sides of the border.”
5. Close up, map of DRC-Uganda border
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Preben Aavitsland, Acting Chair, International Health Regulations Emergency Committee:
"It was the view of the committee that the outbreak is a health emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region. But it does not meet all the three criteria for a public health emergency of international concern."
7. Med shot, people in meeting room
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Preben Aavitsland, Acting Chair, International Health Regulations Emergency Committee:
“While the outbreak is an extraordinary event and there is risk of international spread, we believe that the on-going response would not be enhanced by formal temporary recommendations from WHO under the International Health Regulations.”
9. Wide shot, map of DRC and Uganda
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Preben Aavitsland, Acting Chair, International Health Regulations Emergency Committee:
“The committee is deeply disappointed that WHO and the affected countries have not received the funding and resources needed for this outbreak. The international community must step up funding and support for the strengthening of preparedness and response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the neighbouring countries.”
11. Med shot, people in meeting room
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Preben Aavitsland, Acting Chair, International Health Regulations Emergency Committee:
“Children and adults and responders, health care personnel, are dying from this disease. And that emergency in itself is a reason for donors to fund the response.”
13. Med shot, Aavitsland speaking at meeting
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Ryan, Executive Director of Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organizations (WHO):
“Ugandan authorities have really proven the value, thus far, of investments in preparedness. An ounce of preparedness is clearly worth more than a tonne of response. Very modest amounts of funding have been used to support Uganda in achieving a very high level of preparedness.”
15. Med shot, people in meeting room
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Ryan, Executive Director of Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organizations (WHO):
"We are very, very pleased with the news that the Merck company will re-engage its research production plant at West Point in the US, which will effectively double the capacity for the company to produce vaccine over the coming year. This is very welcome news. At the moment there are a quarter of a million doses ready to ship, and we will have a further 100 000 doses before the end of the year. "
17. Wide shot, meeting room
After the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee (IHREC) decided not to classify the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus emphasised that “for the affected families and communities, this outbreak is very much an emergency.”
Addressing a press conference in Geneva today (14 Jun) via teleconference from Kinshasa, Tedros said although the spread of Ebola to Uganda is tragic, “it's not a surprise.” He said WHO had warned since the beginning of the outbreak that the “risk of cross border spread was very high and still remains very high.” he noted the efforts being made to combat the virus, adding that the “fact that it has taken this long (to spread) is a testament to the incredible work of all partners on both sides of the border.”
Acting chair of the IHREC Preben Aavitsland said it was the view of the committee that the outbreak is a health emergency in the DRC and the region but did not “meet all the three criteria for a public health emergency of international concern.” These criteria include that the situation be serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected; carries implications for public health beyond the affected State’s national border; and may require immediate international action.
Aavitsland said, "While the outbreak is an extraordinary event and there is risk of international spread, we believe that the on-going response would not be enhanced by formal temporary recommendations from WHO under the International Health Regulations."
Aavitsland expressed the committee’s disappointment that WHO and the affected countries had not received the funding and resources needed for this outbreak. He added, “The international community must step up funding and support for the strengthening of preparedness and response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the neighbouring countries."
The acting chair stressed that children, adults, and health care personnel are “dying from this disease” adding that the emergency in itself is “a reason for donors to fund the response."
WHO Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme Mike Ryan praised Ugandan authorities who he said have “really proven the value, thus far, of investments in preparedness.” He said, “An ounce of preparedness is clearly worth more than a tonne of response. Very modest amounts of funding have been used to support Uganda in achieving a very high level of preparedness."
Ryan welcomed the news that the Merck company would re-engage its research production plant at West Point in the United States, “which will effectively double the capacity for the company to produce vaccine over the coming year.” He said, at the moment, there were a quarter of a million doses ready to ship to the affected area. He added that WHO would have a further 100,000 doses “before the end of the year.”
Download
There is no media available to download.
