last week I announced that I was convening an emergency committee under the international Health regulations to evaluate the up search of empo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa today the emergency committee met and advised me that in its view the situation constitutes a public heal emergency of international concern the detection and rapid spread of a new CLA of empo in eastern DRC its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported empo and the potential for further spread within Africa and Beyond is very Waring it’s clear that a coordinated International response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives