McCaul concerned about Ebola spread outside of Congo

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) international health emergency declaration for the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is critically needed to help stop the virus, said U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on July 19.

“This week’s designation by the WHO as a global health emergency further demonstrates the magnitude of concern,” said Rep. McCaul, ranking member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We must increase attention to the crisis and encourage a coordinated international response to ensure that assistance is effective and achieving results.”

The WHO on July 17 declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the DRC as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

“I am deeply concerned about the growing Ebola epidemic in the DRC,” added Rep. McCaul, citing WHO data showing that “we are facing the second-largest outbreak in history with over 1,600 deaths mounting since 2018.”

In his home state of Texas, the congressman recalled how the 2014 Ebola outbreak infected three people there.

“As we learned in 2014, containment is of the utmost importance as the risk of this horrific disease becoming a global epidemic is only an international flight away,” Rep. McCaul said.

Rep. McCaul also urged the Trump administration to prevent further spread of the disease by continuing to prioritize funding, including complementary development assistance efforts, and to support local populations and health workers.