The World Health Organization late Saturday declared the outbreak of Ebola that was first seen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo an international public health emergency, underscoring the concern about the spread of the virus as travel-related cases were reported in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
The speed with which the emergency issuance was made — African health officials only confirmed the outbreak on Friday — is unusual. So too is the fact that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued the declaration without first seeking the advice of an expert panel, called an emergency committee.