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WHO member states convene in Geneva amidst the latest African Ebola outbreak

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WHO member states convene in Geneva amidst the latest African Ebola outbreak

Photo: Reuters/Denis Balibouse

Delegates from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 194 member states will convene in Geneva today for the annual Health Assembly, a week-long meeting held to evaluate the current state of global health.

Likely to overshadow the agenda is the recent resurgence of Ebola in Central Africa. The disease represents a significant threat to the politically turbulent region, including a previous outbreak in 2014 which killed over 11,000 people.

Despite new cases being confirmed earlier this week in Mbandaka, a city of 1.5 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo, WHO officials have stated the disease can be contained. Much of their confidence likely comes from a new vaccine which response teams will begin distributing this week.

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While the memory of 2014’s outbreak will provoke a comprehensive and swift response, Ebola is elusive and spreads quickly; if the disease takes root in urban centres, a rapid escalation is possible. In such a case, expect the disease to intensify instability across the region, likely serving as a catalyst for further political unrest and economic disparity.

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