--- title: Ebola Is a Public Health Emergency, WHO Declares description: The World Health Organization announced on Friday that Ebola poses a threat that requires international cooperation to prevent spread canonical: https://time.com/3091143/world-health-organization-emergency-ebola-west-africa/ author: Melissa Hellmann article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-08T10:52:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:58:03.092Z article:section: Health og:title: WHO Labels Ebola a Global Public Health Emergency og:description: At least 932 deaths and 1,711 cases have been reported og:url: https://time.com/3091143/world-health-organization-emergency-ebola-west-africa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta755a332cbe8c0fb/69869ed0810bbb6f47c92efe/rtr41nty.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: WHO Director-General Margaret Chan sits next to Fukuda, WHO's assistant director general for health security, as he addresses the media in Geneva og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: WHO Labels Ebola a Global Public Health Emergency twitter:description: At least 932 deaths and 1,711 cases have been reported twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta755a332cbe8c0fb/69869ed0810bbb6f47c92efe/rtr41nty.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # WHO Declares Ebola a Global Public Health Emergency > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=518520be-7a8a-4bb8-9323-bb6f39c4f7df&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 5 Ebola Questions You're Wondering About [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Ebola Questions You're Wondering About](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9QwqrSi9.m3u8) (2:02)  _Published 2014-08-07. TIME Health Reporter Alexandra Sifferlin explains why there's no cure for Ebola, how infected patients are treated, and more common questions about the disease._ by [Melissa Hellmann](https://time.com/author/melissa-hellmann/) ## Melissa Hellmann Aug 8, 2014 10:52 AM UTC by [Melissa Hellmann](https://time.com/author/melissa-hellmann/) ## Melissa Hellmann Aug 8, 2014 10:52 AM UTC The World Health Organization on Friday declared that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a public health emergency of international concern, requiring global coordination in order to prevent further spread, but did not recommend any restrictions on general trade or travel. At least 932 deaths and 1,711 cases have been reported throughout Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and, most recently, Nigeria since December. Two American missionaries recently contracted the deadly virus in Liberia and were evacuated for specialized care to Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital. At a press conference following two days of meetings in Geneva, Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said Ebola’s virulence demanded international attention as the current epidemic “is the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak” since this strand of the virus was discovered nearly four decades ago. “Countries affected to date,” she said, “simply do not have the capacity to manage an outbreak of this size and complexity on their own.” Keiji Fukuda, the organization’s Assistant Director-General, explained that the nature of politics in West Africa and lack of infrastructure and resources needed to fight such a threat made the region particularly susceptible. Alongside providing health professionals with supplies and security, he added, leaders must offer social support to the community to stop the spread of “fear and misinformation” that was preventing people from seeking immediate aid. “This is an infectious disease that can be retained,” he said. “It’s not a mysterious disease.” Chan warned as the conference came to a close that if the global community did not support the struggling nations, “these countries will be set back for many, many years.” The emergency declaration, she continued, served as a “clear call for solidarity.” ## Transcript The Ebola virus is ravaging West Africa, taking at least 800 lives and leaving behind a lot of confusion. Here are five common questions about the disease. Number one, if there's no vaccine and cure for Ebola ,. What are doctors doing to treat infected patients? Currently, doctors can only provide supportive care like monitoring their heart rate, and blood pressure, and making sure their fluids are replenished. This will hopefully help sustain infected patients through the disease. If there's no cure for Ebola, how are some people surviving? When someone is infected with the virus, the body produces antibodies to fight it. People who have survived Ebola have produced enough antibodies to neutralize the virus and eventually, their immune system will clear it. Number three, why is there no vaccine or drug for Ebola? There are currently experimental drugs and vaccines under development. But since Ebola is a relatively rare disease compared to others, there hasn't been a financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to put a lot of funding into these drugs. Number four. How can Americans with Ebola be evacuated back to the U. S .? There are certain plains that medical groups use to evacuate and transport people with very infectious diseases. The plains can be equipped with medical equipment, as well as units to isolate patients from doctors. Doctors accompanying patients will wear full body suits to keep themselves protected. Number 5, what are my chances of getting Ebola in the U. S .? [ MUSIC ] The only way to contract the disease is through direct contact with bodily fluids, which can include blood, vomit, semen, and yes, even sweat. With proper protection and equipment, being infected with the disease is highly unlikely. For more answers to your questions about Ebola and to follow Time's coverage of the disease, visit time. com / ebola. 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