# WHO emergencies — WATCH (stable)
id who-emergencies · Global Health · horizon acute · checked 2026-11-01T11:52Z · at this level since 2026-10-31T11:26Z · stale after 2026-11-02T01:52Z
Assessed by an AI model (Anthropic Claude) against published rubrics; not a forecast or advice · CC BY 4.0 · https://canary.danleech.com/s/who-emergencies

Value: 1 PHEIC (Ebola)
Rated on: A PHEIC in effect, or an IHR Emergency Committee convened.
Situation: Ebola outbreak, DR Congo [ebola-drc]

Ebola PHEIC in effect since May

Why it's at this level: WHO declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May 2026, and it remains in effect. No new PHEIC has been declared in the past 30 days as of 1 Nov.

What this means for you: Check NaTHNaC/TravelHealthPro advice before travelling to affected parts of Central and East Africa.

Why it matters: A WHO Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) or 'pandemic emergency' is the top official global health alarm.
What moves it: Outbreak spread, IHR Emergency Committee decisions.

Rubric — Alert: A new PHEIC declared in the past 30 days, or a pandemic emergency declared. | Watch: A PHEIC in effect, or an IHR Emergency Committee convened. | Normal: No PHEIC in effect other than long-running polio.

Sources:
- UN News — WHO declares Ebola outbreak a PHEIC (2026-05-17) https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167531
- ECDC — Ebola (Bundibugyo) multi-country updates (2026-10-30) https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/public-health-events/2026-EIP-00026