NEW YORK – While acknowledging Ebola spread from West Africa to Spain and the United States by air travel, the World Health Organization in a meeting of its Emergency Committee Thursday in Geneva refused to recommend a general ban on international trade or travel from West Africa.
WHO acknowledged cases "have recently occurred in Spain and United States of America" that "originated in West Africa," but the committee "reiterated its recommendation that there should be no general ban on international travel or trade."
"A general travel ban is likely to cause economic hardship, and could consequently increase the uncontrolled migration of people from affected countries, raising the risk of international spread of Ebola," the United Nations agency said.
The committee emphasized "the importance of normalizing air travel and the movement of ships, including the handling of cargo and goods, to and from the affected areas, to reduce the isolation and economic hardship of the affected countries."
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WND has previously reported two scientific studies that have demonstrated the only measure that has any reasonable chance of creating a "zero risk" scenario for the international spread of Ebola is the strict enforcement of a ban on travel from West Africa. One of the studies concluded a reduction in air travel of as much as 80 percent would only delay the international spread of the disease by three or four weeks at most.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan accepted the Emergency Committee's assessment declaring the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone continued to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The initial declaration was made in August.
The declaration of an international public health emergency involves special procedures as defined under WHO International Health Regulations (2005). It's regarded as an "extraordinary event" with implications for public health beyond the national border of the affected state or states, requiring immediate international action.
Increasing 'exponentially'
The WHO Executive Committee acknowledged the Ebola epidemic continues to accelerate in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
WHO declared the outbreak over in Senegal Oct. 17 and in Nigeria Oct. 21.
But cases "continue to increase exponentially in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone" and "the situation in these countries remains of great concern."
The WHO official totals for the current West Africa Ebola outbreak, as of Wednesday, stand at 9,936 cases and 4,877 deaths.
"In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, it's terrifically difficult to get enough domestic and international health care workers to take care of the people who are affected with the disease," Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general for health security and environment, said at the WHO press conference announcing the results of the Emergency Committee meeting.
Reliance on exit screening
Exit screening of international travelers remains the main method WHO continues to recommend to keep the Ebola outbreak from spreading outside West Africa.
"Exit screening in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone remains critical for reducing the exportation of Ebola cases," the agency stressed.
"States should maintain and reinforce high-quality exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaport and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection."
WHO recommended exit screening should consist of, at a minimum, a questionnaire, a temperature measurement and, if fever is discovered, an assessment of the risk that the fever is caused by the Ebola virus.
"We believe the exit screening we have in place has a deterrent effect upon infected people in the West African countries seeking to leave to seek health care in the United States or Europe," Fukuda said. "A few cases have spread internationally by infected people traveling out of West Africa, but we have not seen a tremendous spread of the disease caused by cross-border travel from the region."
WHO expressed only limited enthusiasm regarding the effectiveness of entry screening as a measure to prevent international travelers from West Africa from spreading the disease.
Entry screening of 'limited' value
"Entry screening may have a limited effect in reducing international spread when added to exit screening, and its advantages and disadvantages should be carefully considered," the WHO cautioned.
"If entry screening is implemented, states should take into account the following considerations: it offers an opportunity for individual sensitization, but the resource demands may be significant, even if screening is targeted; and management systems must be in place to care for travellers and suspected cases in compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR) requirements."