Relevance: GS-2 (Issues Relating to Health & Governance) | Source: The Hindu

1. The Core News Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The outbreak has caused over 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths. The virus has migrated from rural zones to a major capital city, jumping international borders. Crucially, the WHO stated this is not a global pandemic like COVID-19, and explicitly advised against closing international borders.

2. Understanding Ebola (The Basics)

• Zoonotic Nature: Ebola is a virus that jumps from animals to humans. Its natural reservoirs are fruit bats.
• Transmission: It spreads among humans through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids (sweat, vomit, saliva), or contaminated belongings (bedding, needles) of an infected person.
• The Bundibugyo Strain: This current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo variant. Unlike the common Zaire strain, no approved vaccines or specific medicines exist for the Bundibugyo variant, making containment highly challenging.

3. What is a PHEIC? (The Legal Framework)

A PHEIC is the highest global health alert issued by the WHO.

• The Rulebook: It is governed by the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, a legally binding treaty signed by 196 countries to handle global health risks.
• Definition: An extraordinary event that poses a public health risk to other nations through international disease spread, requiring immediate global coordination.
• Administrative Impact: It unlocks global emergency funds, speeds up medical research, and streamlines international tracking without stopping global trade or travel.

4. Why is this Outbreak a Major Concern?

• Vaccine Mismatch: Existing global vaccine stockpiles (like Ervebo) only target the Zaire strain and offer zero protection against this Bundibugyo strain.
• Urban Transmission: The virus has reached densely populated cities with international airports, raising the risk of rapid global spread.
• Porous Borders: Active cross-border movement between DRC and Uganda makes tracking patient contacts extremely difficult.

5. UPSC Value Box

• NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control): India’s nodal administrative agency under the Ministry of Health responsible for monitoring disease outbreaks and deploying rapid response teams.
• IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme): A decentralized, state-by-state network that tracks early warning signs of health outbreaks inside India.
• One Health Approach: A modern health management framework that integrates human, animal, and environmental health to catch zoonotic diseases early.

Consider the following statements regarding the Ebola Virus Disease and global health protocols:

1. Ebola is a zoonotic disease whose natural hosts are primarily believed to be fruit bats.
2. The International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, which govern the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), are legally binding on all WHO member states.
3. The Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus is highly manageable globally because of the widespread availability of the approved Ervebo vaccine.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only