A woman crawls toward the body of her sister as an Ebola burial team takes it away for cremation -showing the grim reality of the Ebola outbreak. PHOTO: John Moore and Mohammed Elshamy

The World Health Organization has finally declared the Ebola epidemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in DR Congo.

This is said to be a long-overdue acknowledgment that the current Ebola outbreak remains uncontained and still poses a significant threat to global health security.

The declaration carries legal obligations requiring affected states to cooperate with the W.H.O in coordinating an outbreak response plan.

It also puts the global public health community on notice, signifying a substantial health security risk to the world.

Last week, the ministry of health announced that its partners have raised 4 million dollars in an attempt to keep Ebola out of South Sudan.

This came after health authorities in DR Congo confirmed an Ebola case not far from the border with South Sudan.

The case was registered in the town of Ariwara, situated in northeastern Ituri province and about 70km from the border with South Sudan’s, kaya in Yei River State.